Secrets
by Lightness Moon
Summary: Draco Malfoy, whilst working as an Auror for the Ministry of Magic, embarks on a journey to catch a criminal that is on the loose, raping then killing their victims just like in the Auror series; Kai Mason, written by James Evans. Longer summary on first page. Fem Harry/Draco fanfic
1. Chapter 1

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Warning, contains scenes of violence from the very start._**

Summary:

They say that everyone has their secrets and Draco Malfoy is soon about to find that out. Whilst working as an Auror for the Ministry of Magic, he embarks on a journey to catch a criminal that is on the loose, raping then killing their victims just like in the Auror series; Kai Mason, written by James Evans. And then there is his own personal life, his mother wants him to settle down. But as a Veela as well as a Malfoy, he is rather picky about what his partner should be like. Then whilst at a party with his Auror partner, Draco finds the perfect girl who meets all the right requirements. The wizarding world saviour; Harianna Potter, making Draco wonder why he never realised it before, but her rather odd behaviour startles him, and he wants to know the reason for it. Will Draco discover the truth or will he come up against obstacles at every turn?

Prologue:

Light broke through the cracks in the boarded up window. The room was dusty, the furniture that had been in it, old, warn and falling to pieces, lit up by what little light that poured into the room. A person, a female, naked, gagged and tied up; chained to the wall as far away from the door that was their only means of escape. For as a witch if the room had not been protected against it, then she would have Disapparated out. She had been here a while now, held captive by her assailants. How many days she had been here, she did not know. All she knew was she had to get out.

The days she had been here, she had been tortured by both magical and non-magical means. Starved and hardly been given any water. This normally was not a problem to her, growing up she had been used to the treatment of not receiving meals or water. However, another life depended on her now. A small bump graced her naked form. That was the other reason she could not Disapparate from the room, it would do more damage to her unborn child.

Her husband Theo, had been killed in front of her very eyes, when they had first arrived. Her captors had wanted to teach her a lesson. And all because she had done something - almost three years ago now …. She had taken someone from them, so in turn they took Theo. She had not been looking for any kind of relationship when she met him, the war had just ended and she had taken refuge in the Muggle world. Theo was older then her by a few years, the year she turned eighteen, he himself turned twenty-five. They would regularly bump into each other at their local supermarket, but it all started on the day her bags had spilt open. Theo had been passing by, helped her sort all of her shopping out and then randomly asked her on a date. Theo turned out to be the change she needed, he was a newly qualified teacher, who happen to love life and live for the moment. His outlook on life made her fall in love with him, hard and fast, they married a year later. He was slightly bewildered to learn that not only was she in fact magical, but she was also famous within that world.

And now, after days of being tortured and raped, her captors were planning on taking her very life …. the door opened …. She looked up …. A man dressed in a black robe, entered the room, the hood of his robe covered his face. Though it would not stay that way for long, he had brought just a wand with him this time, her own wand. For she had recognised what he was tapping against his palm. But the idiot had made a grave mistake, three in fact – the first he had come alone and the second, he had left the door open and the third, he had her wand ….

The wand traced lightly over her naked form, as though he was wondering where he was going to hurt her first from it. She screamed into the gag as the Cruicatus curse hit her. Then felt the cutting charm hit her skin … the chains magically forced her to move and she now laid on the cold floor upon her back, a blindfold covering her eyes, the gag had been removed – water now splashed over her face, over her nose and mouth causing water to gash down her throat – she coughed but it only made her choke on water – she knew this technique – it was meant to make her feel like she was drowning – but she didn't feel that way at all, because she knew where she was, and although she could not see, she knew what was happening to her. She gagged on the water, no sooner had she stopped, she had been moved again, the chains moving her arms now to her sides, her legs spread wide and bent awkwardly, she could hear rustling – she bit her lip waiting for the moment she knew she would soon arrive – it was why he had not re-gagged her, he hoped to hear her scream …. He entered her in one swift forceful movement – she choked back the moan of pain –

He slumped as he finished up, the idiot had made a fourth mistake, he had her wand loosely within the palm of his hand, as he moved to remove himself, it brushed against her own, using what little movement she had, she took it from him …. He should have known … he was warned … she was an Auror after all, his body flew across the room, she had knocked him out cold by casting a Stunning Spell non-verbally. The chains fell off her moments later, and she stumbled as she got to her feet ….

Flicking her wand once more, she cast a Full Body Bind, conjured a dress and cast a Patronus to her Auror partner …. But now she could feel something trickling down her leg … blood …. She felt an awful pain - abdominal pain, she fell to the floor, and moments later two people enter the room, wands stretched out before them, sweeping the room. Her partner wasted no time however; he merely picked her up from the floor.

Stress …. That is what the Healer tells her hours later …. Too much stress was put onto her body …. And that she was not to blame herself … it could have happened to anyone who had gone through what she had …. All she knew was one moment she had been five months pregnant, happily waiting for the arrival of her child, the next she wasn't ….. her son, was tiny when he had been born - tiny and he was not breathing, the Healers tried everything they could but not even magic could save him.

'We need a name for the baby Mrs Mason. We do not wish to be unkind but it is needed so we can fill out the paper work.' The Healer said.

Subtle, she thought. She had just lost her son. The only thing she had left of her husband. Wasn't it wizarding tradition to name the son after the father. Theo …. But he hadn't wanted his son to have his name, not as a first name. What had been the name he wanted again … something beginning with K – Kai. Yeah she should do that.

'Kai …. Kai Theo Mason …' she said quietly.

Yeah she liked the name she thought …. It had a nice ring to it. Kai Theo Mason, she wondered what kind of man her son would have turned into, if he had been given the chance.


	2. Chapter 2

Kai Mason was many things, an uncanny witty person, his sense of humour was dry – non-existent, really. He was a serious as they came and an arsehole to many people. Especially to his Auror colleagues none of which he had the patience for. They deemed his section, his role unworthy – not a proper Auror. So much so he was the only one who worked in the Sexual Assault Unit. The thing about Kai though, as much as an arsehole he may have been, which he needed to be when dealing with the types of thugs he did, Kai was damn good at his job. Even if he didn't get much sleep, or dealt with victims that didn't give him the whole picture so he often came to dead ends. Or the one thing that he really hated, those who just wasted his time. Like right now at this very moment …. He was on his way to a crime scene, a homicide crime scene. But when the head of the department asks you to make your way over, one could not simply say no.

He Apparated to the co-ordinates given to him, and found himself standing outside a run-down cottage, that clearly was going to fall apart. The building frame by the door was lopsided, the windows had either been smashed or boarded up, and the roof had visible chunks missing.

'About time you got here, Mason!' a deep voice said harshly.

'I came as soon as I could, Withers,' Kai replied with a tone of annoyance, 'you know how I just love to sit at my desk doing nothing.'

Mathew Withers, was a stocky- built, balding middle-age man, was one of the few decent Aurors, Kai actually got along with.

'It's about time you got off your arse then,' he replied with a small smirk, 'and actually did some work.'

Kai looked back at the cottage.

'Joking aside Kai,' he said simply, 'I could sure use your help with this one.'

Kai arched an eyebrow.

'Let me put it to you this way – it's not pretty.'

'I still fail to see how I can help you.'

'You'll understand once you see the victim's body.'

Kai would have described the scene more than just not pretty. It was disturbing, disgusting and sickening. The victim had been sprawled out upon the bed, her legs had been left open wide – the pubic hair had been removed, whether by magical means or not Kai could not tell. Her arms were behind her back, Kai suspected that they had been bound - but it had been the amount of blood at the scene, the sheets were stained with it, the blood had even reached the walls. Kai was not surprised considering the state of the body. Scaring from old and new lasherations to the body but it was the victims head- it had been removed.

'Have you found it,' Kai said. 'her head.'

'No, we're still looking for it,' Withers said, 'What do you think, a rape gone wrong?'

'No,' Kai said, 'this was planned, thought out - she was moved here to be killed - I doubt you'd find any traces of evidence.'

Withers looked at the body. 'We did find one thing.'

'Yeah?'

Withers held out a plastic bag, in which contained a small business card. Kai took it from him and his eyes widen with surprise; it was his business card, which he handed out to those who wouldn't or struggled to talk about what they had been through. He turned the card over and a number was on the back in his own handwriting, the number twenty-seven.

'What is that smirk for?' Withers said.

'I'll know who the victim could possibly be,' Kai replied, 'but we'll need to check over my case notes. You're about to see just exactly what I do for a living.

'She's good,' a cheerful voice said from the doorway.

Draco, peered over the top of the book at the freckled face of his red haired Auror partner, Ronald Weasley. Neither of them had been happy six years ago when they had first been partnered. Weasley's previous Auror partner had been none other than the Girl Who Lived, Harianna Potter. And Draco at the time they had been partners had been doing his training. He did not know why Harianna Potter had left. There were many rumours, some said that she had just had enough, she had finished what she needed to do - catching the last of the Death Eaters. Others said that she was now working undercover. Draco believed the latter as Weasley did not speak about his ex-partners reasons for leaving. The first year Weasley and himself had worked together, had been awful, Draco had been nearing to leaving himself. But then while out on a raid, Weasley saved his life. So Draco remained and stayed as his Auror partner. Throughout the six years they had worked together, they had both saved each others lives. They were no longer the versions of themselves they had been eight years ago when Harianna Potter put a stop to the Wizarding war, and finished off Voldemort.

Draco rubbed his temple and placed the book down on his desk, he frowned slightly. 'Sorry what did you say? I was too busy reading.'

'Book is good, isn't it,' Weasley said.

Draco glanced at the book, then at Weasley. 'Good is not the word I would use.'

Weasley chuckled. 'I suppose not. But I told you I knew I'd seen our crime scene before.'

Draco held up the book in question. 'I can't believe you happened to have read this.'

Weasley shrugged.

But Weasley was right. They had just days ago come upon this exact same crime scene. No trace of evidence left what so ever and the killer had even left a card with this Auror name from the book with the number twenty-seven upon it.

'So we've got a killer on the lose that likes to read in their spare time - to make up for their own lack of imagination,' Draco sneered.

'At least we've got an idea as into what they are doing,' Weasley sighed, 'well more like what they plan to do. I'm just grateful I worked it out before the killer took inspiration from another book.'

Draco frowned, 'Exactly how many books has this,' he looked at the author's name, 'James Evans written?'

'Three,' Weasley replied.

Draco rubbed his temple. 'So we have no idea into our killers next move - he could pick any scene from any of the three books.'

'I'm aware of that,' Weasley said, 'but I - call it an instinct - think that our killer is going to follow the exact plot of this book.'

'Why?'

Weasley shrugged, 'Why else would they go to the trouble of making sure to leave a card with the characters name on it. It wouldn't make sense to jump to another book.'

'So the next killing takes place when?'

'Well according to the book - there was a month gap.'

'So we've got month to catch the bastard,' Draco said, 'and we've got nothing to go on?'

'Pretty much sums it up.'

Draco rolled his eyes, and ran and hand through his hair. 'OK, you go over the scene, and witness statements - I'll see if I can get hold of this James Evans -' Weasley raised an eyebrow. 'What?' Draco snapped. 'You're always telling me you have better people skills, then I do - so, go do your "people skills" thing while I'll do the research side.'

Weasley nodded. 'Fair enough.' He made his way to the office door and stopped again. 'You coming to the party tonight? You owe me one for getting you out of that date your mother set you up on.'

'Yes, yes. I haven't forgotten,' Draco said irritably.

'You so need to get laid,' Weasley muttered.

'I do not,' Draco retorted back.

'Riiight,' Weasley said a knowing look plastered on his face.

'I'm a Malfoy,' Draco said as though it explained his reasoning. 'I'm, as you very well know, am a Veela. It's not my fault I'm picky about what type of person I want to be with.'

Weasley sighed. 'I know, I know as a Veela you have to be careful about whom you chose, because of the whole once you sleep with them, it's hard for you to want anyone else - I just think you're being stubborn and maybe slightly fussy - but each to their own.'

'I'll see you tonight.'

Weasley nodded and headed out the door. Draco looked towards the book once more. Pulled out a quill and some parchment and started to write an urgent letter to James Evans.


	3. Chapter 3

Draco stared at the semi-detached house he had just Apparated to. He had to transform his clothes, before leaving so that he would not look odd as he was in a Muggle neighborhood. When he sent the owl off earlier he had not expected _this_ to be the outcome. James Evans was too busy to come to the Ministry of Magic, so Draco had to make a social call. The house looked promising, somewhere he could envision a successful writer living. For he had done a fair bit of research into Mr Evans - three books, so far published, just like Weasley had told him. All of which had made the man a fair bit of money. Even though the book itself had quite a few grim details within its pages, Draco thought it was most likely witches who had brought the series ... well, who wouldn't want to read about a tall, dark and handsome Auror whose mission in life was to solve cases? For that was what Kai Mason was. The character in the book as at least six foot, dark brown hair, piercing blue-grey eyes, he had a rugged look about him as he often had stubble. Oh, Draco could envision many witches swooning over James Evans's character.

Draco knocked lightly on the door and waited patiently. A young woman may be a few years older than himself answers the door. Her blonde hair falls messily, there are bags under her brown eyes. She looked over his appearance and opened the door wider.

'You must be Auror, Malfoy,' she said. 'I'm sorry I made you come all the way here. I know you must have other things you need to be doing.'

Draco blinked at the woman, he had not expected this. Why would she reply to his letter? Did she work for this James Evans? Her appearance said otherwise. She was dressed in a plain blouse and skirt.

'I had some free time,' Draco replied smoothly. He felt like smirking and half wishing Weasley had been here to see this. 'It was no trouble, Miss? Mrs? ...'

'Mrs Perkins,' she said rubbing her eyes. 'Thank heavens,' she sighed, 'because I'm afraid my father is in no fit state to be moved.'

'Moved?' Draco repeated.

She blinked up at him. 'Yes, that's why I asked you to come here, you see -' she stopped herself, her eyes tearing up. 'Well it's best you come in and see for yourself -'

Draco stepped over the threshold and followed Mrs Perkins up the stairs. The inside of the house looked like a right state, there was laundry everywhere, papers scattered about. The pictures and portraits upon the wall were covered with thick dust.

'I'm sorry about the mess,' Mrs Perkins said, 'I haven't had much chance to clean - not now I've started to look after my father full time -'

The question Draco was about to ask, was answered for him, as she opened a door to one of the bedrooms. The bedroom would look like any other, if not for the added arm chair in which had a folded blanket upon the arm. In the middle of the bed lay a frail sleeping man ... his skin discoloured he looked oddly grey. His breathing was laboured.

'You can see now why I asked you to come here,' Mrs Perkins said. 'I did wonder why an Auror would have written an urgent letter to him - but then you weren't to know.'

Draco not knowing how to respond to this asked. 'How long has you're father been ill?'

'He's been battling whatever curse hit him for the last three years,' she said, shaking her head. 'Healers have no clue what it is. I'd figured I might as well bring him home if they could not help him. He's been steadily declining over the years ...' she turned her head towards him. Her expression was fierce though she had tears in her eyes. 'It hasn't been easy. I'll tell you that Auror Malfoy. I know you would have been death before ... considering your line of work, but have you ever had to watch everything you know and love about a person vanish from them? Have you had to watch as they slowly slip away into nothingness and know that there isn't a thing you can do to stop it? This is the hardest thing I've ever had to do ... watching someone I love die.'

'I can't say I have Mrs Perkins,' Draco responded softly. 'I'm sorry I wasted your time - the owl I sent clearly got the wrong person.'

Mrs Perkins laughed, a hand wiped away her tears. 'Sorry I needed that - you were after the author James Evans weren't you?'

Draco frowned.

'Oh, we used to get a lot of his fan post,' she explained, 'It used to annoy me - I even tried writing to him myself, the owl just came back here - had to get hold of the Wizarding Publishing Company, the publishers that print the book.' she pointed to the bedside table on which one of James Evans's book lay. 'All of them signed and they came with compensation - he did not need to but he still did something, he is a good man when you get hold of him - tell him that.'

'Thank you,' Draco said softly, 'for your time Mrs Perkins.'

Draco Apparated to Diagon Alley, ten minutes later, just outside the premises of Wizarding Publishing Company. Feeling irritated with himself. He should have done this straight away. But then how was he meant to know the owl would go astray. Stupid James Evans. To make matters worse as he goes to open the door to the publishing company, he finds to his annoyance that the publishing company is closed. He rubs his temple and forces himself to take a deep breath as he looked at the opening times. It was closed for the whole weekend, he would just have to come back first thing Monday morning. He checked his watch, it was almost six o'clock, Weasley was expecting him to show up at The Burrow in a hour and a half's time. At least Weasley was giving him a good excuse to be away from his mother.


	4. Chapter 4

The Burrow, was its usual noisy self when Draco stepped out of the fireplace. Children shouting, and running around, most of them, redheads. Though he knew some of them did not have the famous Weasley hair, there was no doubt who they belonged to.

'Draco,' a friendly, warm, welcoming voice called. Molly Weasley, looked up from the pots on the stove, and rushed over to hug him at once. 'How lovely to see you, dear.'

'Do you need any help, Molly?' Draco asked her. When he first became Weasley's partner and was invited around for the very first time, he had been told to call her Molly. "There are too many Mrs Weasley now". she had said when he called her Mrs Weasley. "We won't know who you are speaking to". She had a very good point. Her eldest, Bill was of course married, Percy had got married the year before, Weasley and Draco became partners. Weasley, of course, had married Granger. The only time it got confusing was when Molly, Percy's daughter was around. Draco often referred to her as little Molly.

'Bless you, but no, everything is almost done,' she turned back to the stove, turning off the heat. 'We'll be out in the garden, too many of us to be cooped up in the house.'

Draco, nodded curtly. He never thought he'd be welcomed here, into the fold. But Molly Weasley's nature was that of a forgiving one, she often told him, that he was making up for his past mistakes. Saving her son, must have helped matters too. He had often wondered if it had been this very feat that had won over the rest of the Weasleys.

He shook his head, making his way through to the garden. It was not hard to find the rest of the Weasleys. Not when all one had to do was follow the noise, a mixture of shouts, laughing and crying.

'Draco, 'ow are you?' Fleur asked as he made his way over. She handed him a Butterbeer, from the table, which he took gratefully. Though he drank Fire Whiskey, it was not often that he actually touched the stuff. Mainly due to the fact of his work and they weren't allowed to drink whilst on shift. It was just easier to stay clear of Fire Whiskey. Weasley very much had the same attitude, in fact, it had been Weasley who had influenced Draco.

'I'm well and you?' he asked polity. Fleur he had long gotten along with, for she knew the troubles of being part-Veela far too well.

'Very much the same, thank you,' she turned, back to the table to pick up a small bowl and spoon. Trying to tempt her youngest Louis into eating some mushed up food. 'Any luck with your dates?'

'No, not yet,' Draco said. 'I swear my mother is setting me up with people I'll dislike on purpose.'

Fleur laughed lightly. 'I'm sure she would not do that.'

Draco rolled his eyes. 'Fleur you've met most of my mothers' attempts - her matchmaking is terrible.'

'Most of them seemed nice, I liked that Gretchen, was that her name? - the one that did all that charity work?'

'That was so she could find herself a rich husband,' Draco sneered. Which is something he did not want. For his relationship to be based on the fact that he had money.

'Oh - umm - what about Priscilla?' Fleur asked.

'Oh, she was much worse, complete snob.'

Fleur raised an eyebrow.

'I've changed, OK,' Draco said defensively.

Fleur did not comment, there was no need to. They all knew Draco included, that he had.

'What about Cordelia?'

'Didn't like children,' Draco said quickly. Draco had found that out rather early, and it had put a rather abrupt end to their dating.

'Adelaide?'

'Didn't want children,' Draco replied, sighing. That one he had found out much later, but not wanting children was pretty much a deal breaker for Draco. He added in an afterthought. 'I think the only decent person my mother set me up with was Astoria.'

'It was a shame it did not work out, non?'

'It was,' Draco replied softly. 'But she and I - it just wasn't meant to be.'

'It must 'ave been very difficult - letting her go,' Fleur said, just as softly. 'I doubt I could 'ave did it, if it been me. Non I do not think I could 'ave let Bill go.'

'Hay you,' came a shout from across the lawn. 'Stop flirting with my wife.' Bill, though he sounded serious, was smiling broadly. He was making his way towards them with a few of the older children. One that was not a Weasley, for Draco had seen a picture of his cousin when he was much younger. Teddy Lupin still had his turquoise hair. And there was someone else he had not seen for a rather long time. Not since he first started out as an Auror. The wizarding saviour herself; Harianna Potter.

Many days he had asked himself why he was doing this? Why he was working as an Auror? He had no need for the money, after all, he was the heir to the Malfoy fortune. It had been Astoria's sister, Daphne Greengrass, who had suggested to him about finding a job to kill his boredom. She, of course, had been right. But after the war, not many were willing to take on an ex Death Eater. He had been lucky, lucky that Harianna Potter had spoken up for him. That had been the last time he had seen Potter, before he started his training, she had been put on a special assignment after that.

Her black, long hair, had its usual messy look. As they drew nearer, Draco caught sight of her facial expression. Something just did not seem right. Though she was smiling, it did not look at all natural. Not the way he had seen her smile in school at least. It was rather odd now he came to think about it. But before he could wonder about the mystery behind Potter, in true Weasley fashion, his Auror partner showed up fashionably late. Rose's handheld in one of his own and the other was interlocked with that of his pregnant wife; Hermione, though Draco still referred to her as Granger.

Potter's behaviour seemed out of place - there was something off about her. Not that Draco had been paying close attention, well maybe he had, but it was hard not to pick up on the few things he had seen, since she had been sitting directly across from him, in-between George and Hermione. Potter's green eyes often flicked across the table, mostly in the direction of Teddy Lupin.

'She's been looking after him,' Fleur whispered into his ear. 'Ever since your aunt died. It was only natural, Ria's his godmother after all.'

Draco, nodded, this was information he was already aware of. Weasley had told him so. In fact, Harianna was godmother to quite a few members of the Weasley brood. The only thing he had not known was how she came to get the nickname Ria. The Weasleys were very closed off about it, often changing the subject. Harianna Potter though was exactly the type of person he had been looking for. She liked children, though she had not had her own, she looked after one as though he was, judging by the way she was acting with Teddy. She would not be with him just for his money or his family name. Though she no longer showed her dislike for Draco, he doubted she would be with him for his family name. As for the money, well she in her own right had her own. Thanks to being the last Potter and an investor in Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, that was information he only found out after becoming Weasley's partner. Come to think of it, all the qualities he wanted from a relationship, he had seen from Potter whilst they had been at Hogwarts together.

And as though Potter had heard Draco and Fleur, she looked directly at Draco for a few seconds, before her eyes searched the table again. Just what was she looking for? It was not the only odd behaviour he had seen either. Much later, once the delicious mouthwatering food had been eaten, he had observed the Weasleys acting rather oddly with her. All of them had approached her when they were directly facing her. And there had been something missing from her departure as well, but it wasn't until Molly Weasley had hugged him tightly before his own departure, did he realise what it was. No one, including the children, had made any physical contact with her. Perfect Potter may be in qualities, but just what was going on with her behaviour? And why was everyone acting strangely distant to her? It just didn't make sense. Just what the hell was going on?


	5. Chapter 5

Draco let out an exasperated sigh. He drummed his fingers along the white marble reception desk. The first thing he had done this morning had been to make his way over to the Wizarding Publishing Company in Diagon Alley. The young brown haired witch looked at him fearfully.

'What do you mean you can't help me?' Draco snapped.

'A-auror Malfoy - if I could I would - but it is just not possible -'

'NOT POSSIBLE!' Draco shouted, losing his temper. 'Not possible!'

The woman gulped. 'That's what I've been trying to tell you. Company policy doesn't allow me to divulge information on our clients.'

Draco leaned across the desk so that he was almost in her face. 'Now listen to me,' he said dangerously. 'What part of I'm investigating a crime that involves one of your clients - did you not understand?' Draco slammed his hand down on the desk, making the receptionist jump.

'That's enough!' said a voice.

Draco looked up and saw that an older woman had made an appearance from the door that was behind the reception desk.

'I do not take kindly to my staff being threatened - take your leave, before I force you to leave.' she said firmly. 'Or I'll call for Auror, whichever suits you.'

Draco held up his license. 'It's a bit late for that.'

She gave him a stern look. 'Just what was it you were after Auror Malfoy?'

Draco snorted, of course, she would know his name, there weren't many people in the wizarding community who didn't - after everything that happened in the war.

'I'm working a case that involves a crime scene that appears in on of your clients books,' Draco said. 'Mrs - miss?'

'Odette, will be just fine,' she said. 'and which one Auror Malfoy - we have many clients that fit that description.'

'James Evans.'

Odette gaped at him. 'Follow me - Claire,' she addressed the woman behind the desk. 'Take five, ask Sarah to cover you.'

Draco followed Odette to a small office, in the back of the premises. He took a note of the name upon the door: O. Briham; Chief Editor. She sat down behind her desk, her head resting upon her hands.

'Claire was right that is our company policy not to hand out information about our clients,' Odette said softly. 'But I take it there has been a killing - as you are asking about that particular author.'

'It's classified,' Draco said. 'We'd hoped that, we'd be able to get hold of him, we need to question him upon a few things - if you could just -'

Odette sighed, her eyes closed. 'Here's the deal Auror Malfoy - and this conversation stays confidential-' her blue eyes looked into his. 'If I could help you, I would - I just can't-'

'So dragging me in here was to just waste my time!'

'You misunderstand Auror Malfoy - I can't help you because we as a company don't even know who James Evans is - and he's our best seller.'

It was Draco's turn to stare at her open mouthed. Odette sighed again.

'No one else in this company knows that information but me -'

'But surely - you must pay the man?' Draco said.

Odette shook her head. 'Every last Knut of prophet goes to a ward on St Mungo's - NICU, the neonatal intensive care unit, specialises ill or premature newborn infants - James Evans only exists in book form - we learnt that after all the trouble we had-'

'With Mrs Perkins?'

Odette glanced at him. 'You did do this properly then.'

Draco knew it wasn't a question.

'Yes,' she said. 'It was all over the _Daily Prophet,_ we had no clue what to do,' she opened a desk draw and handed him a piece of parchment. Draco read it.

 _Dear Miss Briham,  
_ _I would like to compensate Mrs Perkins for all of her troubles. Take the money out of the prophet you make.  
_ _It must have not been easy for her, to have deal with adoring fans of my work,  
_ _please tell her, from one James Evans to another I'm truly sorry.  
_ _I would also like to send her signed copies of my books, you will find them all attached.  
_ _It's not much but I hope that it at least will give her something to ponder over when she needs  
_ _the rest. Please also find attached the new manuscript for my latest book, Kai Mason and the Copycat,  
_ _the recent happening gave me an idea. I dedicated it to her as a thank you.  
_ _You should know where to send the money by now,  
_ _Yours sincerely,  
_ _James Evans._

'We did exactly like he asked us to. Took the money out of the prophet and the rest went to St Mungo's,' Odette said, when Draco looked back up, 'Even added that fan mail to be sent here on the back-cover of the books. We haven't had a complaint since.'

Draco sighed. 'Do you have any more of these notes?' Odette nodded. 'Do you mind if I run a quick test upon them.'

'Go ahead,' she said, pulling two more from her desk.

Draco tapped his wand upon each one, he did not like what the spelled revealed. Odette was glancing at him curiously.

'I just wanted to know if he had wrote them himself,' Draco said.

'Oh ...'

Draco was rather annoyed, each letter that had been sent had not been in the author's handwriting - he'd used charmed quills. Who ever James Evans was, knew how to cover his tracks. And he was beginning to get on Draco's nerves. He stormed out of the publishing company, making towards the Leaky Cauldron. Though he was on duty he could use a drink - as he walked through to the pub he collided - due to his not paying attention to where he was going - with a slim frame, his arms went to their waist to steady them - the next thing he knew, he was upon the floor, on his back, staring into piercing emerald eyes - a wand pointed at the bridge of his nose. Draco blinked up at her - Potter did not look pleased at all -

'Next time,' she said fiercely, 'I'll hex your balls off if you touch me.'

With her point clearly made, she disappeared towards Diagon Alley.


	6. Chapter 6

Draco scowled at his Auror partner unimpressed by his fit of laughter. Weasley was grinning from ear to ear, completely flushed in the face. Draco frowned, not two moments ago, his Auror partner had a concerned - almost worried look upon his face, that was until Draco finished telling him what happened.

'Weasley, I fail to see what is so funny, about me landing flat upon my back.'

Weasley chuckled. 'It's not that, that's funny. It's the fact that Ria is still able to best you, and she did so without even trying.'

'Well you didn't seem to happy to begin with,' Draco snapped.

Weasley merely shrugged.

'So ... what is Potter doing now, that enables her to place me upon my back without even trying or blinking? Umm?'

Weasleys' expression grew serious. 'The usual ... probably, took Teddy to school - then got on with her day,' he shrugged.

'That's not what I asked and you know it,' Draco said sternly.

'It doesn't concern you,' Weasley replied hotly.

'You never talk about her - her time with you as your partner - come off Weasley, I've been working with you long enough - clue me in would you. I'd like to know what's she's got stuck up her arse,' Draco said, calmly. 'I just tried to help steady her - but after I touched her - well you know what happened next.'

Weasley sighed. 'She was probably, under a Notice Me Not - she does that, stops her from being hassled, which explains why you didn't spot her - she doesn't like being approached -'

'Touched?' Draco added. 'I noticed at the party, no one hugged her or anything, there was no physical contact.'

Weasley ran a hand through his hair, making it look wild, he sighed once more. 'Yeah - that's right.'

'What happened?'

Weasley took a deep breath, 'On a case of mine, she was attacked, she got severely hurt - it broke her. It took her ages to recover - she's just funny about people touching her, and I'm not surprised given what happened to her.'

'And ...?'

Weasley's blue eyes looked into his own. 'The rest is classified - I can't talk about it.'

'But I'm an Auror.' Draco protested.

'Doesn't matter.'

'I'm your work partner!'

'Still doesn't count.'

'What if the case comes up again and it's too personal for you to handle ...'

'Classified!' Weasley said, glaring at him. 'What part of that do you not assimilate.'

Draco was slightly impressed, then he remembered who Weasley was married to.

'Well, I have a point!'

Weasley rubbed his temple. 'The case has been closed, the perpetrator has been dealt with - that's all you need to know.'

Draco sighed, then after a moments silence, he turned to Weasley. 'So what does Potter do now?'

Weasley rolled his eyes. 'It's classified!' he shook his head. 'Tell me about James Evans ... any luck getting hold of him?'

'No,' Draco said disappointingly. 'Seems he only exists in book form - and he has left no clue to his true identity.' For a moment, Draco thought Weasley looked relieved.

'OK, so we're on our own,' he said, ruffling his hair once more. 'Merlin I wish Ria was here - this was much more her type of thing!'

Draco's ears perked up. 'Was it?'

Weasley paled. 'I didn't mean that you weren't helpful or good at your job.'

'I knew what you meant,' Draco said, he had a better understanding of Weasleys' mind now. 'I've worked with you long enough, to know the difference. So why did you wish Potter was here?'

'Because ... she always knew what to do - Harr -' he shook his head, stopping himself. 'Ria just had a way of getting inside a criminals head - she could put pieces of a puzzle together using the tiniest of clues. Brilliant - just brilliant! I've never known anyone like her. You talking about her, just made me think about - well everything.'

'Then why don't we ask to have her assist us,' Draco said.

Weasley shook his head. 'She'll be busy.'

'Doing what exactly?'

'Malfoy for the last time,' Weasley shouted, losing his temper. 'IT IS CLASSIFIED! I'm not talking about it because I can't - full stop - end of story - got it!'

'Why not? Why can't you talk about it-?'

'Because ...' Weasley paused, 'because I promised, I wouldn't.'

'So?'

'I made an Unbreakable Vow!' Weasley snapped. 'there are you happy now? I can't talk about it, because if I do - I'll die.'

Draco stared at his partner - Auror's weren't allowed to make Unbreakable Vows, they could interfere with their work. 'Does Bentley know?' he whispered. Weasley would be in big trouble if their Head Auror didn't know.

'Of course, he knows!' Weasley snapped. 'Do you think I was the only one? Hell, even the Minister had to make one.'

Draco did not expect to hear that, he gaped at Weasley.

'Yeah,' he said. 'Exactly. What's the sudden interest in Ria anyway?'

Draco shrugged, he barely knew himself - other than her qualities being perfect, if only her behaviour wasn't so odd.

Weasley's eyes widened. 'You like her - bloody hell! I thought you got over your crush. Well, you told me you didn't fancy Harry anyway.'

'That's a point, where did her new nickname come from?'

Weasley blinked at him.

'Ria? A moment ago you called her Harry.'

'Oh, she doesn't like being called Harry now - not after the attack, reminds her - I slip occasionally, luckily not in front of her - anyway - as for the name someone important to her gave her it, and it stuck.'

'Who?'

Weasley shook his head. 'Sorry but that's classified also.'

'Make another Unbreakable Vow did you - I won't inform anyone of anything personal about Harianna Potter.'

'No!' Weasley muttered. 'It's just her business.'

Weasley stopped the conversation there, pulling out files from his desk drawer. At least he had been helpful in some ways, Draco now knew why Potter was acting so strangely - just what happened on that case that made her freak out about having physical contact with other people? Draco felt like he was getting more questions, then answers. Maybe it was time to pull a few strings - talk to some of his old school friends with connections, see what came up. And while he was at it, he might as well visit the NICU ward at St Mungo's. If James Evans was truly the Wizarding Publishing Company's best seller - why would the man give his money away to one ward?


	7. Chapter 7

Draco had not expected it to look so colourful. This section, this ward of St Mungo's was bright, all along the section of the ward. NICU was covered with paintings; rainbows, toys, baby play-things. Even the windows, were plastered with baby hand and footprints; beyond which, lay the rooms, where the small incubators stood. He could see mobile's above some of the incubators, and the small life forms resting within them. Each room he walked past, looked similar, though there were subtle differences - not with the rooms itself, but with expressions held upon parents faces. He stopped at the end of the corridor, coming to the last room - this one did not seem as bright as the others, no matter how much colour was plastered over the walls. It had not stopped, the pained expressions, as parents looked on helplessly at the small life forms. Suddenly an alarm goes off in the room - Draco has only seen his work colleagues move this fast - Healers seemed to have come out of nowhere - he watched two of them lift a form so tiny that Draco could hardly believe it was a baby - and then the curtains surrounding the incubator were drawn - he felt as helpless as the child's parents - they had been steered clear from the room, now they were standing nearby him, both of them watching the curtain. The woman had her hand to her mouth; her face full of panic, the man's hands were on his head, clutching at his hair.

Draco felt like he should say something - though he did not know what. He did not know their circumstances - had no way of knowing or even understanding what they could be possibly be feeling or thinking at this moment. He didn't know how long he stood there watching - waiting - the curtain never moving - the alarm had been turned off now. Suddenly a titch in the curtain and it's pulled back - Draco can see that the baby is fixed up to something to help it, though he has no idea of what. This was all new to him and new to the wizarding medicine world. He knew that much. For he had done at least some research. A Healer was leaving the room, walking towards the parents ...

'She's out of the woods - for now,' he said. 'We'll keep a close eye on her ... but the next twenty-four hours will be critical - you can see her if you like ... but I'm afraid you still won't be able to touch her -'

Wordless, Draco watches the parents nod, they move back into the ward, walking in a sleep-like state. Until they sink into chairs by the bed - hands reaching out to each other, both of them staring - staring continuously at the small form in the incubator. The Healer, that had exited the room, had to been watching them - then he spotted Draco.

'Can I help you?'

Draco blinked at him, then showed him his license. 'Auror Malfoy, I was looking for the person in charge but well -' he looked around, there was no station desk in sight.

'Ah, well you found him,' he smiled pleasantly, holding out his hand. 'Dimitri Cartel.'

Draco shook it. 'Could I have a few moments of your time?'

'We'll have to walk and talk - nothing stops around here.'

Draco nodded, walking beside the man.

'So what's this about?'

'I'm currently running an investigation and a link came up to this ward.'

Cartel stared at him.

'We thought they were embezzling money and we found out that they were sending funds to this ward.'

Cartel blinked. 'We get lots of funding, from all over, from people who were grateful for what we've done, to people who just believe in what we do.' he shrugged. 'Most of the time we have no idea of who sends the money.'

'Most of the time?' Draco asked.

'Yeah - sometimes we'll get a letter or card informing us,' he pointed at a nearby wall, which had several pieces of parchment and cards attached to it. 'I put the ones we get up there, so the whole team can see - even though we're just doing our jobs, it's nice to feel appreciated, to know that we've done everything we possibly could.' he shook his head, 'it's never easy - and it doesn't get easier - we can't save them all - but we can give it one hell of a try though.'

'Your ward is fairly new, is it not?'

'Yeah, three years old now,' Cartel said, 'Why? It can't have anything to do with the embezzlement.'

'Oh, how do you know that?'

'I know where the money came from,' Cartel said. 'The Wizarding Publishing Company - one of their authors sends quite a bit of funding our way.' he sighed heavily. 'If it hadn't had been for them - this ward wouldn't exist.'

'What do you mean by that?'

'Exactly what I said, this ward was a lot smaller - we could only take the most severe cases - we had outdated equipment - without that money - all you see before you wouldn't exist. Whoever the author is - we owe them a great deal.'

The doors to the ward burst open - two Healers were rushing in, a small bundle placed in the cot-sized bed.

'What have we got?' Cartel said rushing forwards.

'Female - born just twenty minutes ago - respiratory problems - suspected collapsed lung.'

Draco watched as he looked down at the baby being rushed away - he wondered why - why would someone, who clearly cared about life and giving that life no matter how small it may have been a chance at living - write such violent scenes as they found their dead bodies in? James Evans had a lot to answer for ... not matter how selfless the bastard was. The man obviously did not care for the money, so he was incredibly rich or stupid, or both. It just did not make sense - could James Evans have another connection to the NICU ward, that Draco was just missing. It just felt personal somehow - glancing at those pained expressions upon parents faces, as they looked on - Draco was positive that it was a personal connection that James Evans had with the ward - Draco wondered what it could have been ... selfless ... yes ... but James Evans was still an annoying bastard, and Draco was no nearer answering his questions or finding out who in fact the man could possibly be - at this precise moment, James Evans could be anyone, and when he found him - Draco was going to have a few choice words with the man.


	8. Chapter 8

Draco glanced down at his watch, and not for the first time that evening. He had been regularly checking it, and it was not for the time either. The watch he was wearing was a gift given to all Aurors who completed their training. It was a quick and successfully easy way to communicate with each other. They were digital so that the time could become a message or coordinates or both. Each watch was registered to it's owner so messages could not be tempered with or so that civilians were not able to read it.

'Is something wrong?'

The feminine voice across from him brings back his attention. He glances over the young, curly blond hair, pretty woman. Who is blinking her long eyelashes at him her blue eyes look at him expectantly. He almost snorts, women - well this woman was demanding. Far too demanding for his liking. He wondered why he was sitting in a fancy restaurant again - oh yes his mother.

'No, forgive me, Pearl,' Draco replies softly. 'It's just a habit, that comes from being an Auror.' He gives no further explanation, reaching instead for the glass of red wine in front of him. He sips it gratefully, knowing full well that this is going to be a long night. Sometimes he just wanted to - well maybe kill his mother was a bit extreme. But something needed to be done. You would think that after two years of setting her son upon pointless dates, that she would have gotten the hint. It wasn't like Draco didn't want to settle down. He did, but he wanted more out of a relationship than standards that were outdated. He wanted what Mr and Mrs Weasley had - he wanted what his Auror partner had. That look, the devotion that they had for each other. He wanted to be wanted for the man he was - not his name.

And it was Potter that had started it all off, this new way of thinking ... the night she had returned his wand. She looked tired if the bags under her eyes had been anything to go by, and she probably was too. He had asked her why ... why was she returning his wand - wasn't she worried that he would do something crazy - like hurt her. "you saved my life", she replied, "and because it's the right thing to do". She had done the unexpected, and then she spoke up at the trials for them - not just Draco but his family as well. Had spoken up for him when he began looking for work. She had done a lot of unexpected things because it was simply the right thing to do. It was why he joined the Auror programme, he thought that if he tried to do the right thing then maybe he would be forgiven for his past mistakes and not just by the wizarding community, but himself as well. It had worked mostly in his favor - there was still a few people who'd look down at him - but nothing of how it used to be. Though after all the years - the sleepless nights, the long hours, the many visits to St Mungo's, he, of course, asked himself why he was doing it. Even if he knew the answer.

Pearl raised her eyebrows, clearly unimpressed. 'Well, I don't understand why you do it.'

'Believe me, I ask myself that same question,' Draco muttered, wondering yet again, why he was putting himself through this. He should stand up to his mother, tell her to quit interfering. If and when, he found a girl to settle down with, should be down to him, he didn't need his mothers help. Though he could envision, his mothers reply, that he himself, just did not have the time due to his line of work and that she, as his mother, was just trying to help him.

'It's not like you need the money.'

Draco frowned at that statement, however true it was, but if she was one of these woman just after his wealth - then she could just jog on! Merlin - Draco shook his head, mentally at himself. He had been working with Weasley far too long if Weasley was rubbing off on him.

'It keeps me from being bored,' Draco replied coldly.

'Well, if I was to become the lady of the manor -' she said, Draco listened half-heartedly. 'I would make ways to make sure, you were never bored.' she leaned forward so that her dress showed her cleavage. 'You could come back to mine ... and I could show you - if you'd like -'

'Not interested.' Draco said firmly. It was no secret that he was a Veela and most people knew that it was hard for a Veela to leave those whom they slept with. And Draco was not going to fall into that trap. A loud beeping sounds from his watch. He almost jumps for joy - he has just been rescued from this awful nightmare of a date.

'Thank Merlin!' he exclaimed looking down at the watch.

Then his eyes widen as he reads the message from Weasley: IT HAS JUST HAPPENED. BODY HAS JUST BEEN FOUND. MAKE YOUR WAY TO THESE COORDINATES. RBW. Draco watches the coordinates appear on the screen. Dread replaces his moment of joy as realisation hits him, the month was up. They had not caught the killer and he had struck again. Draco hastily makes his way out of the restaurant, leaving his date to pick up the bill - it was the least she deserved - he Disapparates as soon as he can.

He lands behind the barrier, the Auror team have placed up. The view that greets him, is just as bad as the last one. The house actually looks like it's been blown apart. He steps through the doorway carefully - making his way up the stairs. And it's the smell that greets him first. Weasley looks green in the face and gestures to the room closest to him. Draco makes his way through and upon the bed, covered in filth - laying on their front, with their knees tucked in underneath them - so it exposed their arse - was another body of a young female. Draco looked over at the wizard dressed in white robes, the mediwitch that worked as part of their team; Clare Ferguson.

'How did she die?'

'Bastard slit her wrists along her arm -' she said, 'along the vein - she bled out.'

'And was she -' Draco asked, indicating to the scene of a sexual nature.

'Yeah - she was raped - anal, this time.'

Draco rubbed his temple and left the room, glancing at his partner.

'I knew,' he managed to say. 'what it would look like, after reading the books - but I never thought it would look this bad in reality.' he shook his head.

'We need to catch this bastard and right now,' Draco replied sighing heavily. 'I don't know who I want to have words with more; the killer, or James Evans.'


	9. Chapter 9

James Evans needed to have a conversation with himself - or to be exact ... herself. James Evans was the pseudonym name for one Harianna Potter. The raven-haired woman in question was wondering how she got herself into situations like these ... she rubbed her temple with her fingers ...

'Ria, did you hear me?'

She looked up at the green flames in her fire place, the face of her red-haired, freckled friend, speaking to her through the flames ... she had been kneeling beside it so that she could she speak him easier.

'Yeah, I heard you,' she muttered. 'You say that the killings were just like in the book.'

'Down to the very last detail ...' he answered honestly.

'This is not good, the next one -' she said anxiously.

She watched his face grimace in the fire. 'Double killing, yeah I know ...'

Harianna shook her head. 'So does this mean you've had anything to do with the request I received from Bentley?'

Ron gave her a sheepish look. 'He doesn't know that - you know -' he lowered his voice, '- You're James Evans.'

Harianna rolled her eyes. 'It's just me - Ted's upstairs.'

'Oh, how is the not using magic in front of Muggles going this week?' Ron asked.

'Same as usual,' she replied. 'Extremely well - if he keeps this up I'll be - what was it, he wanted to do this weekend - oh, go skiing - Oh, and I'm not allowed to be in a glamour or use a "Notice Me Not".'

Ron chuckled deeply. 'Proves he knows you well.'

Harianna was not impressed. 'I swear he tasks me with things I hate doing as his reward for not using magic in front of Muggles ... on purpose.'

Ron sighed. 'Ria ... you hardly go anywhere as you, you know you don't handle being around people very well ... - oh speaking which, could you not threaten to hex an Auror's balls off, next time - Malfoy was just trying to help you up, after colliding with you.'

Harianna re-framed from rolling her eyes. Feeling slightly irritated. She knew she had _overreacted,_ but being manhandled in public was just too much - well just being manhandled was too much. 'I know and it's not like I can't stand being touched - I just like to have a warning or at least be able to see that someone's going to approach me.'

'And in the real world ... things don't happen like that,' Ron said pointedly, 'You're going to be in situations much like that one if Teddy gets his way for this weekend - and you can't go around threatening to hex everyone who so much as touches you.'

'I know, _OK_ _...'_ she rubbed at her arms subconsciously. 'Could we maybe talk about something else ... other than my successful failure at being human.'

'You're not a failure, Ria,' Ron said softly. 'You just never gave your self time to get over what happened - you went from single to -'

'Don't!' Harianna said simply. 'Please just don't.'

'And there's that too,' he added. 'You've never forgiven yourself.'

'Do you blame me?' Harianna said. 'He died because of me - and I -' she stopped, unable to say anymore. She changed the subject. 'The first body - have you identified -?'

'No we haven't been able to - the head -'

'But the clue - you said the details were the same - so the killer should have left a number behind on Kai Mason's card.'

'Yeah,' Ron said thoughtfully. 'They did - the number twenty-seven.'

'Well did you check it?'

'I didn't think there would be such a thing.'

Harianna sighed deeply. 'You might want to go through my old files and cases - I didn't get the idea of numbering his business cards to the relative cases from nowhere, you know. It's something I did - Walt, you know our old Head of department before Bentley took over - he used to drive me crazy assigning me to different cases when I was already halfway through one.'

'You see,' Ron said triumphantly. 'This is why you should come back and help us.'

'Last time I was in that office - I almost blew the place apart.'

'Almost being the key word there mate.' Ron pointed out. 'So I'll tell Bentley, you're thinking about it?'

Harianna shook her head. 'I can't believe I'm about to say this ... but tell him I'll see you all on Monday.' she rubbed her forehead again. 'I mean no one is going to know the killers next move better than me right?'

'Well no - after all, you are the author.' Ron said. 'But I'm glad that you're coming back -'

'Tell him I have conditions -' she added hastily. 'I'm not coming back as a full-time Auror - I'm not going to work on any other cases - I will consultant and advice _only,_ I'm not doing any damn field work. And that I will be in after nine am and gone by three pm. Teddy comes first. Oh and I'm not working weekends either.'

Ron chuckled. 'I'll let him know.'

Harianna took a deep breath. 'I can't believe I'm going to go back ... working with you I can handle but Malfoy ...'

'Draco's not so bad ...' Ron said. 'And thanks for the heads up ... about the number thing on your files. I'll get straight onto that. See you later.'

'You're welcome ...' she managed to say before he disappeared, leaving her with her own thoughts. Her head fell into her hands, as she took more deep breaths to calm herself ... just how did becoming a writer get her into this mess - writing was meant to be safe - give her an outlet - not screw her life over. She had very mixed feelings about going back to her old life ... the past, she was not sure how she was going to deal with it. Harianna got up from her spot beside the fire and paced over to her study desk, pulling out pieces of parchment frantically ... someone was about to take a dive off a cliff and she was not sure as into who - Kai Mason, the killer or a victim.


	10. Chapter 10

Draco frowned at the closed door in front of him. He just got back with the blood samples result. Weasley had gotten a led on their first victim's identity; Abigail Bennett, before the weekend. So they went to the house to investigate ... turned out the girl had just been reported missing ... flatmate had been away on a business trip, parents arranged to see her the weekend before. Spending the day with Weasley at the Bennett house had not been easy - breaking the news that, their victim, could be their daughter ... well, news like that was never easy. They had to get samples though ... so they could find out ... and give the family an answer - so they could grieve.

Laughter erupted from inside the office he shared with Weasley. Draco looked at his watch ... he'd been gone - thirty minutes and Weasley was already losing the plot? He opened the door, his remark faltered as soon as he stepped through the door. Someone was sitting at Weasley's desk - face flushed, from what looked like embarrassment. Though the look suited her rather well.

' ... so let me get this straight ...' Weasley laughed. ' ... you made his partner dive right off a cliff?'

'OK, OK,' Potter said defensively. 'It was slightly dramatic ... and not one of my better ideas,' she sighed heavily, shaking her head. 'But I had to do something ...'

Weasley was roaring with laughter now. Draco could not see how this was funny ... how was diving off a cliff funny? And why had he not been told about it? Was this something to do with what Potter was doing now? Before anything more was said, Weasley had spotted his arrival.

'Oh, Malfoy - your back.'

'So it would appear,' Draco replied, sitting down at his own desk. He didn't fail to notice that Potter now looked slightly pale. He looked between them, for a moment he wondered why Potter was even here, then he remembered Bentley's briefing this morning - Potter had come back, she had come to help. Draco wondered if she had been requested for the case, or tasked with it. 'I have the results,' he held out the brown envelope in his hands. 'If you're interested.'

Weasley took it from him. 'I know you were waiting until you got back here - there's no need to be a git.' he tore it open, reading the parchment, his face ashen, and he said slowly. 'It's a match.' He then looked at Potter. 'Once we've told the parents ... what's our next move.'

'Well ...' Potter said thoughtfully. 'I'd like to go over what you've got so far - see what's been covered ... you know, the areas the bodies were found in -'

'Potter you can't think that our killer was local! He struck in two different areas,' Draco sneered.

Green eyes pierced fiercely into his own. 'That's not what I think at all, Malfoy.'

Draco did not miss the way she sneered his name - it was very much like how she used to, whilst they had been at Hogwarts. She was basically telling him to shut the hell up.

He watched her pull out two maps and gestured him over.

'The bodies were found here ... and here ...' she indicated them out. 'What does that tell you?'

Draco scanned the maps. 'That the only thing they have in common was that the buildings were isolated -'

'And that doesn't tell you anything?' Potter said staring at him pointedly.

'Fine what am I missing?' Draco asked frustrated.

Potter frowned. 'Well, don't you think that it's a little odd ... I mean ... why there? Why those places? How would a person know that they were there ... unless -'

'They knew the areas ...' Draco said in realisation, understanding the meaning of Potters thoughts.

'Or scoped the areas, and that's what I think our killer has done... which makes this premeditated ... which was pretty obvious, considering they've been using scenes out of a book ... so our killer has thought this all out ...'

Draco glanced in Weasley's direction, who was wearing a really smug expression on his face. Draco had to hand it to him, he was right, Potter sure was something. She had been there less an hour and she had seen something they had not seen. The word _premeditated_ swirled around his mind ... the killer - if Potter was right - had gone to the areas, had learned how to use them to his advantage. He wasn't just putting his knowledge of the James Evans books to use ... the bastard had actually thought it all out - how he could put that knowledge to use ... this was not good - the killer clearly thought they were smart ... the question now was ... who was smarter ... the killer or as Weasley once told him - the person who could get into their mind?


	11. Chapter 11

Working with Potter had its advantages, and its disadvantages. Weasley had been right ... Draco had never known anyone to work the same way in which she had. For the first tim,e it actually felt like they were getting somewhere with the case. They had both victims' last known movements. Potter had spotted the similarity, that both victims had been into wizarding clubs. Though after speaking to several eye-witnesses, security and staff, they were no closer to finding the killer, however, Potter was positive, that the clubs were the victims last known locations. "It would make sense. Easy enough to get into, crowded enough to not be spotted, and pick out the victims." Had been Potters view.

The disadvantages seemed to outweigh the advantages, Potters' hours were slightly annoying. She was always in for nine in the morning and gone at three in the afternoon. Though she worked harder than most, it did not give him enough time to speak with her about ordinary things. As Weasley could not give him the answers, Draco figured he might as well speak to Potter about her issues, that caused him to land up on the floor. Not that he had a chance to.

No, when Potter had not been behind a desk, she was in Weasley's company. Draco felt like he was back at Hogwarts again, he was getting fed up with Weasley and Potter constantly whispering in each other's ears. He felt like throwing something at them, to remind them as they were not the only ones working on the case.

And then there was the ever annoying and irritating Auror, Ryan Pearson, who had taken a shine towards Potter. Though Draco had to hand it to Potter, she was not at all encouraging Pearson's behaviour. She seemed to be startled by his continuous and blatant flirting if her wary behaviour was anything to go by. And she acted rather odd if she saw him coming, Draco had even caught her, diving under her desk once time, just to avoid him.

That had caused one more advantage, Draco had never laughed as much as he did, within Potter's company. Odd she may have been, hard-working she may have been - Potter was making him laugh. And soon, and it couldn't come soon enough Weasley would be on annual leave, as Granger, was due to have their baby. This had caused more laughs as Weasley frantically paced the office, as the due date approached. Which would mean, he'd have Potter's company all to himself.

That thought made him smile, he opened the door, to the office he shared with Weasley; and now Potter. The smile soon dropped from his face. Pearson was back, Potter was trapped by the file cabinets, Pearson was too close for comfort, Draco could clearly see that. Pearson jumped back upon the door slamming shut. Potter seized the opportunity to cross the room as fast as possible.

'See you tomorrow, Malfoy,' Potter said, opening the door and hurrying out of the room.

Pearson smirked. 'She's just playing hard to get - she wants me.'

'You're lucky that she didn't cause you any bodily harm,' Draco sneered, approaching him, 'Scratch that, you're lucky I'm not going to.'

'Is that a threat, Malfoy?'

Draco broke Pearsons' personal space, coming nose to nose with him. 'You bet it is.'

Pearson laughed. 'Keep dreaming Malfoy, cause that's all she's ever be to you - a dream-'

Draco pinned Pearson to the wall. 'Let's get one thing straight, she may not like me in that way, and I'm OK with that. But I won't stand to one side when someone is harassing another person. So I'll say it clearly for you this time so that you'll be able to comprehend it, _leave Potter alone!_ '

Yes, working with Potter had its advantages, he could admire her, desire her, but he knew full well, that she would not want someone like him. Though he was working to prove that wrong, which is why he had wanted to talk to her about her issues. The disadvantages were that other people saw the same qualities in her, he had. Add in the fact that she was very attractive, made his life even more complicated. He was not going to let some ... prick ... come in, and ruin his hard work. The threat may be unlike himself, but it didn't make it any less real, and though Pearson had clearly picked up Draco liked Potter, that did not mean a thing. Draco was not a Slytherin for nothing. Draco freed Pearson from his grip and watched him walk out of the room. He shook his head, if Weasley couldn't tell him what had happened to Potter, and Potter was not going to be around for him to ask, then it was high time, he got in touch with one of his old acquaintances, they only reason he hadn't was that "James Evans" had kept him busy. Hopefully, he soon would get some answers.


	12. Chapter 12

'What are you doing here? I thought you were on leave?' Draco asked, having just walked into his office. He frowned at his clearly stressed work partner, who was not supposed to be there.

'Hermione nearly bit my head off this morning, I had to get out - and well - I thought I could at least be doing something useful if I was here.'

'Coward,' Draco teased.

'You try keeping in a pregnant woman's good books when she's all hormonal.'

Draco held up his hands, 'She's all yours. Hormones an all.'

Weasley glared at him for a moment, then stared up at the clock; which read six thirty, he sighed, 'It's too early for this shit.' he mumbled, gesturing to the files upon his desk. 'Wish Ria would hurry up and get here.'

'Weasley,' Draco said, almost hesitantly.

'Yeah.'

'It's Saturday, Potter doesn't work weekends.'

'Oh yeah,' he said running a hand through his hair. 'Guess I got my days muddled up.'

'With the baby being due, I don't blame you.' Draco said, he paused for a moment before asking, 'Did you have words with Potter or something?'

'What do you mean?'

'I walked into the office the other day, and Pearson was in here with Potter, he was too close for comfort.'

'Fuck,' Weasley hissed under his breath. 'What did he do?' He asked, anxiously.

'He had her trapped against the wall, by the cabinets,' Draco said, 'He only backed down when I came in.'

'When I get my hands on him!' Weasley muttered, angrily.

'I've already warned him,' Draco replied. 'What I'm surprised about was that he was still in one piece, considering what happened to me.'

'Yeah, I might have said something about that,' Weasley said sheepishly, running a hand through his hair again.

'What on earth did you say, that meant she wouldn't protect herself at all?'

'Look,' Weasley said, holding his hands up in defense, 'I want Ria to protect herself - don't get me wrong. She just oversteps the boundaries. Like threatening to hex off an Aurors private bits.' he muttered the last words uncomfortably and shuddered a little. 'Ria needs to find a happy medium, but I - I couldn't have her threatening everyone that accidentally touches her.'

'What I walked in on was not accidental - Potter doesn't like Pearson at all. She couldn't escape soon enough, the moment she had the opportunity to do so, she was gone.'

'We should talk with Bentley. He'll get Pearson to back off. Or fired at least.' Weasley concluded.

A bright light moved into the office, it stopped at Weasleys' desk. The Patronus took the form of an impressive stag and spoke with Potter's voice. 'Ron where the fuck are you? Hermione's gone into labour! Get to St Mungo's now!'

'Shit,' Weasley paled, and he sat at his desk; suddenly frozen.

'Come on Weasley, don't you have a hospital to get to?' Draco snapped at him.

Weasley shook his head, snapping out of his lost thoughts. 'Hospital, right - Fuck!' Weasley stood up suddenly and began to mutter. 'Should I get the bag first? Or would Ria have thought of that? Oh God! What do I do?'

'HOSPITAL WEASLEY!' Draco said firmly. 'GET GOING!'

'Oh, yes, yes of course - hospital!'

'Let me know how it goes.'

And Weasley rushed out of the door, leaving Draco behind feeling bewildered by his partners' behaviour. He supposed having a child did something to your brain, like lose all ability to think. Then a thought occurred to him, if Weasley was on leave and Potter was not around, now would be the best time to go speak with an old acquaintance without any interference. Gleefully Draco got up from his desk, and walked out of the office, through the debriefing room towards the lift. He glared at Pearson on his way past, and he made a mental note to speak with Bentley about his attitude towards female members of staff.

He smirked as he noticed the person sitting behind the desk he wants. For behind the closed door behind them, lay the room in which all the Auror files were left in, and old case files too. The archive room.

'Well hello, beautiful.' Draco greeted her easily.

'What do you want Draco?' she answered without looking up.

'How did you know?'

'That is was you or that you were after something?' she replied.

'Both.'

Astoria looked up at him, sighing, 'Draco, we are no longer dating, but I remember the sound of your voice - and you've come down here for a reason and tried to charm me whilst you were at it. So yes I knew you wanted something. So what is it?'

'I need a file.'

Astoria raised her eyebrows. 'And by a file - you don't mean a case file, do you?'

'Not really,' Draco replied.

Astoria closed her eyes, her hands reaching up to rub her forehead as if she was expecting to hear the worst. 'Whose?'

'Potters'.'

Her head snapped up, clearly startled. 'Why? What has she done?'

Draco bit his lip in frustration, 'It's not what she's done, it's what's happened.'

'What do you mean, I don't understand?'

Draco looked her in the eye. 'Potter intrigued me, but there is something off - Weasley can't tell me because he swore an oath. And Potter -'

'Is unlikely to tell you.' Astoria finished for him. 'So you like her?' she added teasingly.

Draco nodded, 'I need to know - or how else -'

Astoria rolled her eyes. 'OK come on follow me. I hardly need to add that this stays between us.'

Draco smiled at her and nodded.

'Have you had much contact with Auror Pearson?' Draco asked as Astoria opened the warded door.

'Ryan Pearson?' Astoria confirmed Draco nodded in reply. 'No, why?'

'I just - he's been confronting female staff - stay away from him, OK?'

Astoria shrugged, 'I haven't had much dealings with him, Draco, but I'll keep that in mind.'

'Please, Astoria,' Draco pleaded, 'there are few people I truly care for. I don't want to see you get hurt. Stay away from him, please.'

'Sure,' she said, nodding, smiling in reassurance.

The record room was bigger than he thought it would have been. But then the room did house both files on cases and the Aurors. Draco followed Astoria, through the rows of filing cabinets. Then towards the back of the room, behind a caged section of the room, were filing cabinets, which Draco knew to contain Auror details. Astoria unlocked the cage door, and Draco followed behind her. These cabinets were not sorted into reference order like the case files, but alphabetical. The passed the filing cabinets until they reached the one, with the draws labeled "P".

The file seemed oddly light, as Astoria pulled it out, Draco surmised that it had been magically shrunken. They walked briskly towards a desk and opened it. Draco stared at the file, it wasn't shrunken at all - it only held a few pieces of parchment. Mostly details, her date of birth, the name of her parents, her Auror license number. And that was it, there was nothing else.

'This can't be normal,' Draco said, tapping the parchment.

'It is,' Astoria said, 'If the Auror in question has been undercover, they destroy all relative information to cases from an Auror's file when they go undercover or retire.'

'That makes sense, but it doesn't help us,' Draco said irritated.

Astoria smirked at him. 'There's always Weasley's file.'

It was at times like these, Draco remembered why he liked Astoria to begin with. So they went in search of Weasleys' file.


	13. Chapter 13

'Morning Malfoy,' a voice said in a warm greeting from the doorway. Draco heard the door softly shut behind them.

'Morning Potter,' he greeted indifferently, he just caught sight of her questioning expression, before he looked away again. Potter obviously not sure what to make of his attitude. Draco knew he shouldn't take it out his issue on her, though it involved her, she was not the person who LIED to him. For that is what he discovered after reading Weasleys' file. Draco didn't think it was possible for Weasley to lie without turning red, or looking awkward. But he had, and about Potter no less. From Weasleys' file, they found his old cases references, to the case files in question. Not one of them, mentioned Potter being hurt on a case of his. There was no relevance to Potter at all, past the time she had disappeared to whatever she was doing before she came back. Draco was sure Weasley had sworn an oath, but he did not believe it was due to Potter being hurt on some case. No Weasley knew Draco was certain, what Potter had been doing, and he had been sworn to secrecy to protect her cover. It was the only thing that made sense. It did not stop him from feeling angry.

'Classified my arse.' Draco muttered.

'Sorry, what was that?' Potter asked from Weasley's desk.

'Nothing,' Draco said, clearly he hadn't been quiet enough. 'Doesn't matter.'

The next thing, Draco heard, was the rustling of files, causing himself to roll his eyes. Potter had made herself at home. Not that Weasley ever minded her using his desk. This caused Draco to feel more irritated, he would have safely said, that Weasley held nothing from him, they had shared a lot of things, information, fears, worries, hopes, but not once had Weasley shared his desk. Then Potter came along and changed everything he thought he knew. Weasley kept secrets for Potter, lied for Potter and shared his damn desk for Potter. Countless times now, Draco and Weasley had saved each other's lives, but when it came down to it, he chose his old Auror partner, over his new one. And it was pissing Draco off.

What was it? What had happened? What the hell was Potter doing? There was no choice, he was going to get to the bottom of this. He was going to find out. Unbreakable Vow be damned! Weasley be damned!

Over the following week, Draco watched Potter's movements closely. The office seemed to think that he is just wrapping up loose leads. Though following Potter proved to be harder than he first expected. For one; he had no clue as to where she lived. For another, he had no idea of what her usual movements were. How could you put someone under surveillance when you didn't know the basic information?

Draco got lucky one day a few weeks later, Potter had left the office early due to the school Teddy was at getting in contact with her. However, she got Muggle technology to work while in the Ministry, Draco had no clue. But in her haste to get out of the door, Potter had left behind a diary upon Weasley's desk. Though it did not have her address, it did have a few details of her next whereabouts, Draco made a copy of the diary, putting the original back in its place. Draco flicked through the copy, the next thing she had scribbled into was for the coming weekend, which read: _Golden Spectre 11.00?_

It was with a smug feeling, he entered the small cafe in Surrey. It had taken some time to find the location, the cafe itself was light, decorated with golden table clothes and lilies in glass vases as a centrepiece. The cafe was clearly Muggle, and Draco was grateful, he would often meet up with Weasley and Granger, in the Muggle world. "Blending in" was not going to be a problem. Potter entered at exactly eleven o'clock, oblivious to her surroundings. Which suited Draco just fine.

'Good morning, Ria,' a waitress said.

'Morning, is Dud, around?' Potter asked.

Draco wondered if this was a code name for an informant of Potters. She obviously used this place regularly if the waitress knew who she was.

'Yes, he's in the kitchen,' the waitress smiled politely, 'I'll get him for you.'

'Thanks, Sam.'

A few minutes later, a man appeared. He had blond tufty hair, big build, and muscular arms. He looked a little worn out, as he greeted Potter with a sleepy smile.

'Hey, didn't know you were coming today. No Teddy?' the man asked looking around.

Not an informant then, Draco surmised.

'He's at Bill's.' Potter replied, looking disappointed.

'And you let him go ... on his own?'

Potter rolled her eyes. 'Had no choice ... it was what he wanted for his weekly treat. A day without me hanging over him.'

The man laughed, went behind the counter and asked, 'Tea or coffee?'

'Tea, please.'

'Look,' the man said, 'you're going to have to give the kid some space at some point, he goes off to that boarding school of yours soon right?'

Draco was surprised by this, Potter had broken several laws by telling this Muggle, her magical secret.

'Yeah, I know,' Potter sighed, 'It's just hard, D. I don't want anything to happen to him.'

'Ted's got a smart head on his shoulders, Ria, you should know, you helped put it there. Give him some space, or it will get a lot worse for you.'

Potter gave a sly smile, 'When did you get so smart.'

'Dunno,' the man shrugged, placing the pot of tea and some cups onto a tray, 'Ask Laura, she'd know better than I would.' The man picked up the tray and headed for a vacant table located near to Draco. 'Speaking of Laura, she's holding another "girly" night, you're to go, no excuses.'

Potter raised her eyebrows. 'Sure Diddikins.'

'Harry!'

'Don't call me that!'

'Well, you started it!'

Potter smiled, 'God it sounds like we're back at your parents.'

'Yeah, but I'd always win the arguments.'

'Only because Aunt Petunia or Uncle Vernon would tell me off, so you could.' Potter retorted. 'How are your parents anyway, Dudley?'

'Same,' the man shrugged. 'Still, think I'm wasting my life.'

'Then they must dislike me even more, given I gave you the money to set up.'

'Yeah, they still feel pretty much the same about you,' the man said sheepishly. 'Though they have no clue you helped me start up.' he added. 'What about you?'

Potter hesitated for a moment, 'I - I'm doing well, I've gone back to my old job-'

'The one where you got -' the man stopped mid-sentence, 'attacked?'

'Yeah,' Potter sighed, 'Just as a consultant, though.'

'Wow! I didn't think you'd ever go back, didn't you almost blow the place apart before -?'

'Yeah,' Potter admitted, 'I didn't really have much choice in the matter though, as much as what happened, affected me.' Potter said thoughtfully. 'So I went back.'

'You didn't have a choice?'

'We've got a killer on the loose, who has been using scenes from a book for inspiration.' Potter answered.

'And they thought you'd be able to help?'

'The author is James Evans, Dudley,' Potter replied, as though it explained everything. 'Anyways, tell me, how have things been?'

Draco, though had heard enough, this clearly was a private conversation, in which he properly wouldn't learn anything from. He put some money down on the table and left. Weasley had not lied to him after all. So why was there no evidence of Potter's attack? Unless that too had been covered up? But why? Just what had happened?


	14. Chapter 14

Draco woke up, grimacing as he done so. He pinched the bridge of his nose. It wasn't enough that he was feeling guilty for disbelieving his Auror partner. No, he just had to have damn dreams about Potter too, just to make himself feel worse, even if his cock disagreed with him. The dreams would start out innocently enough, Draco wanting to help Potter heal, and being a Veela had certain advantages. He could use his aura to help soothe her. If he could just help her, like how she helped others. But the dreams would move quickly, he would catch glimpses of removing Potter's clothing, of bare creamy skin, Potter's breasts. Potter lost in lust, Potter losing control ...

Draco groaned, turning to his bedside table, 'This is all your fault,' he muttered at the book, which lay on it, one of James Evans's. Draco had to hand it to him, whoever he was, he was a decent writer. Decent, but damn annoying. Draco had only read the books, so he could avoid speaking with Potter. After her regularly invading his dreams, Draco couldn't quite look her in the eye. Also, he was feeling slightly guilty of eavesdropping in on her conversation, with who Draco assumed now to be a family member of hers if their conversation had been anything to go by. Draco was also taking all lengths to avoid seeing Weasley, whilst he was on leave, though he had met the newest Weasley member; Hugo.

To make matters worse, their killer had gone quiet ... the third killing in the book was overdue, and Draco was not looking forward to this one. The double killing. Draco hoped the killer hadn't moved onto a different book of James Evans. Especially the most recent; Kai Mason and the Copycat. The killer took on the victims identities or innocent parties identities to kill his victims. An idea James Evans got from by just using a different name to his own identity.

With a heavy heart, he got up and went to take a cold shower. When he entered his office, he felt no less miserable, slouching in his chair, he stared at his desk, rubbing his temple, trying to figure out how to deal with his latest problem. Draco looked across the room, to his partners' desk, Potter, of course, was not in yet, though it would not remain that way for long. However, there was a package upon the Weasley's desk. A brown box, of a medium size. Noticing the box, he immediately knew something was off. He had not noticed the smell as he walked into the room, as his thoughts had been elsewhere. But there was definitely a dank, sickening smell ... like something had gone off, coming from Weasley's desk. Draco threw himself to his feet, and approached the offending package cautiously, wand at the ready. He began muttering under his breath, wand waving over the box, checking for Dark curses. He found nothing.

'Anything?' A voice asked from behind him, making him spin around quickly. Potter was eyeing the box critically.

'No,' Draco replied, surprised by the softness of his own voice. 'No harmful curses has been placed upon the box.'

'Umm,' Potter said, looking rather thoughtful, though her eyes never wavered from the package.

Slowly she walked closer to the desk, stopping beside Draco. He felt the blood rush to his face, feeling frozen to the spot, after not speaking to her because ... well, he thought it was best - but to be now standing next to her, like this, after - after - those dreams, it made his heart beat erratically.

'Well, we can't just stare at it all day,' Potter said, 'We best open it, find out what exactly is causing that _smell_.'

'Wait,' Draco said, stopping her from touching the package, 'I'll do it -' He stopped himself from adding the _just in case._ He grabbed the penknife, and slit the box open. He choked as the smell from the box grew stronger, when he pulled back the flaps, and then he looked inside it - he was stunned.

'Malfoy?' Potter asked, her voice concerned.

When he did not reply, Potter moved closer, he put an arm out to stop her.

'You don't want to see this -' Draco rasped, shaking his head.

Potter, moved his arm downwards, and pulled the box towards her, looking inside it, turning green.

'Bastard!' Potter spat out, looking away quickly. Draco couldn't help but agree with her. 'Complete and utter bastard. What kind of person? - How could they?'

Potter was lost for words, and Draco did not blame her.

'This wasn't in the book, it wasn't in any of the books,' Draco said, looking at her for the first time in ages. He regretted this within moments of doing so, her face was only inches from his. Her green eyes had been full of rage and determination, though the emotions quickly turned to one of surprise.

'You read them - the books - James Evans's books?'

'I am capable of reading - P-Potter,' he didn't miss the way he stuttered her surname. 'So yes, I read them, I wanted to know what the killer would be planning to do next.'

'Well, no, you are right,' Potter said, her face still inches away from his, 'Sending the victims head, that was severed off, to the Aurors in charge of the case, was not in the books. The bastard thought of this one, all on their own,' she went to close the lid of the box, noticing a piece of parchment attached to the underside of one of the flaps. Potter pulled it off, staring at it, muttering under her breath. Draco was sure he heard the words "arsehole" and "won't get away with this", " won't let them". Draco took the parchment from her, the parchment was a note - a note from the killer. Cocky git! The killer had actually given them the timing and the whereabouts, of where they were going to strike next.

'They can't think that we're going to just _let_ them get away with this, or from us,' Potter said, Draco turned his head back to her, noticing the fire that had been lit in her eyes.

'Well, they do, but that doesn't mean they are going to,' Draco said, moving away from her, heading towards the door, 'I'll speak to Bentley, put a team together.'

He just reached the door, when he heard three words, that made him stop in his tracks.

'I want in.'

Draco couldn't help himself, he smirked, it seemed Potter didn't need healing, after all, no she just needed to help. The killer had done the wrong thing, they had antagonized her. And Draco had learned a long time ago, one never ... never got on Potter's nerves and lived without there being consequences. Harianna Potter was back. Draco opened the door, smirk still in place, as he went to find the Head Auror.


	15. Chapter 15

'I don't date!'

Harianna repeated the words again, for what felt like the hundredth time since her visit. She had gone to Ron and Hermione's in the hopes of getting a break from things ... from everything, including Kai Mason. Having starting writing again, she had got no further than killing off his Auror partner; Mathew Withers. Although she had been angry ... and frustrated ... she could not bring herself to - end - Kai Mason. What kind of person would that make her, to the world he may have been a fictional character, but to her, Kai Mason meant _everything._

But she could not think of that small life form now ... not while she was here, not when Ron was resting Hugo's small body upon his chest. Hugo was enough of a recent reminder ... a reminder of what she once had.

'Do you want to hold him?' Ron asked, noticing where her attention was drawn to.

'No,' Harianna shook her head, 'I couldn't ...'

Ron sighed, and picked up the bottle from the kitchen table, 'So ...' he said, and she knew by his tone, he was changing the subject, 'I don't see what's so bad with doing the undercover surveillance with Draco.'

'I don't -'

'Date - yes, yes I heard you,' Ron said, now giving Hugo his bottle, 'But it wouldn't be a date -'

'Ron, it's part of the plan, Draco and I show up, as though we're on a date -'

'- well there you go then,' Ron said, 'It's not an actual date.'

'Feels like one.'

Ron looked exasperated, 'Well it shouldn't - Draco didn't ask you, did he?' she shook her head, 'And it's so you can capture our killer, who thinks their so clever, right?' she nodded, 'Then it's not a date!'

Harianna sighed, 'I feel like - like I'm betraying - you know, Theo - I'm betraying his memory.'

'Ria, the only way you'd be betraying Theo - is by not moving on. He'd want you to, you know that.'

'I don't want to move on!' Harianna replied. 'I don't want - I can't -'

'You can,' Ron said, 'you just don't want to. You know, I think this "date" will actually be good for you - I know you loved him, and he knew that but you can't feel like this forever, it's not healthy.'

'You know it's not!' he added firmly when she'd been about to protest. 'I thought - I figured that's why you wrote the stuff you did as James Evans. I thought that was your way of letting go.'

Harianna shrugged, 'It just helps sometimes - having an escape. Sometimes - some nights when I fall asleep, I still think I'm in that room, that Theo's being killed in front of me. Writing helps numb the pain - Kai - he's able to do what I wasn't -'

'Kai Mason is a fictional character, Ria, not your son. Your son is dead!' Ron said, 'You need to accept that - they're gone, Theo and Kai are gone.'

Much later as she sat at her writing desk, staring once again at the empty piece of parchment. She glanced over to a photo frame placed upon her desk, the photo was her inspiration - she picked it up, a woman and a man smiled at her from the non-moving picture.

'Forgive me,' she muttered at the photograph, tears falling down the side of her cheeks. Ron was right, but it still felt like a betrayal. This case was getting far too personal for her liking ... and though she thought of her husband and her son, it had never been like this. James Evans was causing her problems, and making her heartache. She could not put it down now though ... she could not stop writing ... she would not give up the last form of the son she had lost left, Kai Theo Mason ... she looked back at the picture in her hands ... Theo grinning, arm thrown around her ... Theo ... she had given Kai his looks with the male version of her persona. She had never explained his past, never explained why he was working in the Sexual Assault Unit ... as the case got more and more personal ... it made her think, maybe ... just maybe it was time to get more personal with Kai. Kai Mason was not her son, he was the image she had created of what her son may have been. Harianna placed down the photograph, and picked up her quill, Ron was right, it was time to let go. Kai Mason was in for a very long day...


	16. Chapter 16

He was going to spontaneously combust ... any second now. He felt hot under the collar, and his palms felt sweaty. Every nerve was standing on end. Did Potter not know what she was doing to him? Potter wasn't even doing anything ... she was only sitting next to him - that was all - oh and she was cooing over the baby she held in her arms; Hugo, but that was a different matter.

'It's good to see you Malfoy,' Weasley teased, 'where have you been?'

Draco frowned at his work partner, true he had avoided Weasley, but he had been around to see Granger at least. Potter laughed, Draco felt awkward, guilty and at this very moment felt like he was on fire. Too many things to be feeling at once. And all because Potter was merely sitting inches away from him.

'We're only here to update you,' Draco retorted, 'It's your case as well, you know.'

'Alright, alright,' Weasley said, holding his hands up defensively, 'Well, Ria told me about the surveillance - I'm guessing the reason you've turned up, is because you need me for it.'

'Yeah, it's all hands on,' Potter said admittedly, 'Sorry to pull you off leave for it, but we really want to catch this bas-' she stopped herself, looking down at Hugo, '- guy.'

'Send me the coordinates and time,' Weasley said, 'and I'll be there - the plan is for you two to be undercover in the club, isn't it? As a couple?'

'That's the idea,' Potter confirmed, 'we don't want too many of us around, if we are all looking for him, it'll give the game away. And that's the last thing we want.'

'This guy has had enough of a head start as it is,' Draco agreed.

'Don't you think - you know - that he could be setting us up?' Weasley said, 'Sending us to the wrong place?'

'We thought of that,' Potter said honestly, 'but we've got to go - it's the only thing we've been given, even if it is a decoy.'

'That's why we need as many Aurors as we can get,' Draco said, 'I mean - if he is there, there is more of a chance we'll get him - if not -'

'It'll be a complete waste of time and resources,' Weasley said, 'Bentley will kill us, if it is.'

'He knows the risks,' Potter added, 'it's only a small team, that's going.'

The front door opened, and a voice called; 'We're back.' Granger walked into the kitchen, with a tired looking Rose.

'Is that the time already?' Potter said looking up at the clock, it was almost three in the afternoon. 'Sorry, Hermione, I hate to run and leave you.' she handed Weasley Hugo, and grabbed her bag, 'But I've got a godson to collect - oh and I think someone needs a change.' she added to Weasley, she kissed Granger on the cheek, and gave Rose a hug, 'Bye Rose, bye guys.' And she swept from the room.

'Right,' Weasley said, still looking at the empty doorway, 'I'll go and sort this one out - be back in a minute.' Weasley left a moment later, taking Hugo with him.

'Did you enjoy your shopping trip?' Draco asked Granger.

'Yes, it was a nice break from things,' she said settling Rose into a chair, then busied herself making Rose a drink. 'Were you here to update Ron? I didn't interrupt anything important, did I?'

'No, we were wrapping up anyway,' Draco said, 'Anything else can wait until Saturday.'

'Just two days,' Hermione said softly, 'I think Ron's looking forward to helping you guys out - with whatever you're doing. He's missed it, he's missed you.'

'Sorry,' Draco said, 'that I haven't been around - for him as much. I've had my own stuff to deal with. It's not fair to offload on him - with the circumstances an all.'

'So that's why you've been avoiding him.' Granger said Draco nodded, 'Well at least he'll know it wasn't his fault now.'

There was a moment silence, Draco didn't know what to say to her.

'Ria hasn't held a baby for a while,' Granger muttered, into the silence, 'that was her first time - for quite some time.'

Draco was confused, he wasn't sure why she was telling him this, besides there were several other children who had once been babies, that Potter had been around. Had Potter not held them then? Not even her own godchildren, until now? Why now?

'I didn't think she ever would,' Granger said softly, 'I never thought she'd get passed - well- I just didn't think it would happen is all.'

'You talking about Potter's accident? From Weasley's mission?' Draco said.

'Yeah,' Granger replied, a sad look plagued her face, 'she still blames herself - for what happened - did Ron tell you she saw someone she loved die - killed right in front of her?' Draco shook his head. 'Ria, she was different after that - closed herself off - I think she just didn't want to get hurt again.'

Granger smiled, 'Everything's started to change though - she's returning to us again, returning to herself - since she started working with you.'

'What was she doing? Before she came back.'

'Sorry, but that's worth more than my life -' Granger laughed, and she added in a serious tone, 'Don't screw it up, keep doing whatever it is your doing - but I swear, if you hurt her, there'll be hell to pay.'

'Granger what are you talking about.'

'Draco, I'm not stupid,' she replied sternly, 'I've seen the way you look at her - it's pretty obvious. I think you're good for her - that this is good for her. But don't hurt her.'

'I have no intention of doing that.'

'Oh and it's Granger-Weasley, Draco, if you can't handle my surname by now, you might as well call me Hermione.'

Weasley came back into the room, Hugo pressed against his chest, and asked, 'Did we miss anything?'


	17. Chapter 17

Draco knew he was in trouble, he was hot, too hot, and he knew his complexion was showing it, this was nothing compared to the other day when he sat beside Potter and felt like he was going to combust on the spot. This heat, was hotter, than anything he had ever felt before and desire sang throughout his entire body. He could do nothing but try and will himself to control it, but the close proximity he had with Potter, was beginning to take its toll.

This had been a bad idea. Why? Just why had he agreed to pretend to be a couple with Potter? Why had he agreed to put himself through such torture? But here he was, two weeks after receiving the package from the killer, in an over-packed wizarding nightclub, standing dangerously close to Potter.

'Draco?' she breathed into his ear. His breath hitched, he liked how his name sounded from her lips. He wondered how she would say it whilst lost with desire. He cursed his own thoughts, now was not the time to be thinking of - such things - not when they were this close - not when she was inches away from feeling his growing interest. It did not help matters that she looked absolutely stunning; Potter was wearing a simple black dress, that clung to her body in all the right places, her hair fell down in long curls and she had lost her glasses for the night. The simple changes had given her a complete transformation.

The back of her hand pressed itself against his forehead, and he forgot that he had the ability to breathe. 'Are you alright? You look a little pasty and feel a little hot.'

'I'm fine,' he said awkwardly, trying to compose himself, as her hand dropped to her side. 'It's just the enclosed space, and the number of people in it.'

Potter gave him a look of understanding as her eyes swept around the room. She did not say anything further, with the mixture of music and people's shouts and talking, the noise level was ridiculous to even try. They were not the only ones inside of the club, two female Aurors; sisters, had joined them, along with a few single males Aurors; led by Pearson were pretending to be on a lads night out. Weasley and another female Auror were surveying the main entrance and exit. So far they had themselves had not seen any signs of suspicious activity. And neither had the others since the only form of communication they had between themselves were their Auror watches.

The night had worn on; there had been no suspicious activity, a few fights had broken out, but nothing unusual when drink was involved. As the club emptied out, Potter exchanged an exasperated look with him. The killer had sent them on a wild goose chase. Weasley looked just as irritated, Draco noticed when they passed him at the exit.

'I'll see you back,' Draco said.

'You don't need to,' Potter muttered disregarding him, by waving it off.

'It's what one does, is it not, after a date,' Draco said, 'See's their date home safely.'

It was a feeble excuse, and from Potter's look of comprehension, she was fully aware of it.

'Fine,' she said, 'But I'm Apparating us.'

He had no choice in the matter, firstly he had no idea as into where she lived; secondly, Potter wasted no time in grabbing his arm and the next moment he was aware of the feeling of being tugged along, for she had Disapparated them both.

The Muggle town did not come as a surprise to him as he set his sights upon it in the short distance. The reason why was because if one wanted to stay off grid and away from the wizarding world, they chose to live in either a secluded area or somewhere with lots of Muggles around; the wizarding community, though understanding of Muggles, liked to mix with their own kind. The Statue of Secrecy was one reason, and besides magic was easier to talk about when people who actually understood you. Potter had secluded herself while in the wizarding community it was only reasonable conclusion that she had done the same with her home. And her home was very secluded, they walked for a good fifteen minutes, following a narrow path, that seemed to be swallowed by tall hedges on both sides. Until finally, a simple detached house could be seen ahead of them. For some reason, Potter's house was exactly the type of place he pictured her being in.

'I thought -' Potter sighed, as the house neared, 'Never mind.'

'I know how you're feeling - I'd hoped he'd be there too.'

Potter gave a forced smile, and looked at her surroundings, 'If you tell anyone that this place exists - I might just have to kill you.'

For a moment, he thought she was actually being serious, until he caught the small smirk on her face.

'So - you've seen me back to The Marauders' Hideout - you can go now.'

'You called this place The Marauders' Hideout?' Draco said amused. How had she come up with such a name?

'It was relevant.' she said, 'And worthy of being one.' she laughed at him, clearly entertained by something, 'It's actually called The Thicket.'

'Because of the Hedges,' Draco commented, it makes sense with all wild hedges that led up to the house.

'You'd think so - but no, a completely different reason is behind the name,' Potter said, and she turned to stop to face him, they were feet away from her green coloured front-door. The green door was the only thing he hadn't been expecting. 'Go home Draco, I think I can safely make my way into my own home from here.'

'I don't know,' Draco joked, looking around over his shoulders, and added in a serious tone, 'I'd hate to break it to you, but there is a killer on the loose.' Draco reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, he had been itching to do so; he had watched Potter repeatedly doing so all night. Potter's eyes seemed startled by his actions.

A ringing sound sounded from his watch - Draco dropped his gaze from the emerald eyes that had been holding his own. It seemed their time had not been wasted after all - but something was wrong, this was not an ordinary call - or an ordinary message -

'Isn't that an SOS, an Auror SOS,' Potter said.

Potter was right, one of the team members were in trouble and sounded an emergency call. Draco wasted no time, he gripped Potter's arm and Apparated them to the SOS. Unlike their usual messages where they had to put in coordinates an SOS automatically put the coordinates in.

They landed in a rather dense forest, darkness surrounding them on all sides, there were further familiar sounds of _cracks,_ they had not been the only ones to answer the call. Potter lit her wand, and from it, he saw Weasley a short distance away.

A shout came from out of the darkness.

'OVER HERE!'

Draco turned, Potter's wandlight lit the area from where the shout sounded, first the ground, then higher until it hit a life-form; Ryan Pearson.

'They're over here,' he pointed behind him, his own wand now lit too, 'I got here first - and appeared nearest - they're over here.' His voice seemed out of place - something was not right.

They followed him, after a short walk of five minutes through the trees, they came to a ditch, that had been earth made. The two Aurors; the sister Aurors, that had assisted them that night, were in it. It soon became apparent why Pearson's voice seemed out of place. Both of the girls lay dead, bodies naked - there were no traces of blood. Draco stumbled down into the ditch, the wandlight hovering over him. Both of girls eyes seemed to be bulging out of their sockets and foam filled their mouths. Poison, they would have had minutes to live - Draco searched the bodies wrists with his eyes, not wanting to disturb the scene - until he saw it - a small flashing light from one of the watches - the watch that had made the SOS - the last act the younger sibling had made - at least coherently. But it had been too late, the poison had done it's work. And now they lay in the middle of a forest, both sexually displayed, like an offering just like in James Evans double killing scene. But this one came with a note - a note - or to be exact a message, that had been left in the dirt besides the bodies: _IT WAS NEVER GOING TO BE THAT EASY._


	18. Chapter 18

'Someone please explain to me how,' Bentley raged, 'how two, of our Aurors landed up being poisoned last night?'

'We have no idea,' Weasley said, 'We haven't had a chance to go over everything yet. All we know is we were certainly lured there.'

'Then look into it, now! I'm going to lock this section down,' Bentley said firmly, 'Nothing is taken out of this office - do you understand me - no notes, no conversations - anything that is relevant stays here,' he sighed, 'we need to salvage what we can - I need to make a public alert. It can't wait any longer - we'll have just more bodies.'

The door closed behind him, Draco, Potter and Weasley looked at each other.

'That went well,' Weasley muttered sarcastically.

'Do you think, that our office -' Draco said looking around, 'is being monitored, and that's how the killer knew which Aurors would be there?'

'It can't be bugged,' Potter said, 'you can't monitor these offices in any way, magical or Muggle. Not even Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes Extendable Ears work here.'

Draco raised his eyebrow, Weasley clarified, 'We put the measures in place when we first started, it's why we have offices now - just used to be desks, but then that way -'

'Anyone could hear you,' Draco finished his sentence, it made sense, not every Auror could give over every detail for cases, and it was safer so that other Minister workers couldn't hear their conversations. 'So what shall we do first - go back to the crime scene?'

'It'll all be washed over,' Weasley said, 'It rained, There'll be no point going back.'

'We've still got the photographs,' Potter said, opening the case file, that seemed to be getting thicker with every passing moment. Pulling out from it the recent photographs. Potter gave a thoughtful look as she stared down at the picture of the two dead bodies.

'Ria, what is it?' Weasley asked.

'Something's off - doesn't seem right -' Potter said, still staring down at the photographs.

'Really?' Weasley said.

'Tell me what do you see,' Potter said.

'The bodies were laid out -'

'Meaning -' Potter gestured for Weasley to go on.

'I dunno-' Weasley said clearly irritated. 'What does it mean?'

'Don't you think that's a little strange,' Potter said, 'We arrived minutes later not hours, minutes.'

'Potter, what are you trying to say?'

'Well one of two things,' Potter said, 'Firstly, either the killer was there, at the same time we were, watching our every move. Or secondly; they're one of us.'

'WHAT!'

'Think about it,' Potter said, pointing back at the pictures of the bodies, 'there was no way, there was enough time for Amilie to trigger the SOS, and for the killer to display their bodies -'

OH! Merlin! Sweet bloody Merlin!

'It's got to be an Auror,' Potter said, 'How else - the killer couldn't know everything, like how we did. Know who we all were. It's the only thing that makes sense.' she sighed, looking down at her watch. 'I've got to go. I'm late for Teddy.'

Potter had better be right, but then the question was, who was it?

Draco thought the events of the night over - nothing seemed out of place. He had dropped Potter off at her house, they had got the SOS - a thought occurred to him. They had not received the SOS, he had. Potter did not have an Auror watch. But why not? Draco knew that even undercover Auror's had watches. What had Astoria said that day when they searched Potter's file? When the file had turned up no useful information. That it was normal for it to look like it. _"' If the Auror in question been undercover, they destroy all relative information to cases from an Auror's file, when they go undercover or retire.'"_

The words played out in his head, over and over again. When they go undercover or retire. Potter had -

'Potter retired, didn't she?' Draco suddenly said, shocking Weasley out of his thoughts.

'What?'

'Don't play me, she hasn't got a watch. I was with her at the time the SOS sounded. Which means only one thing.' Draco said, 'Potter retired.'

'So what if she did,' Weasley said.

'Well, what made her come back?' Draco said.

'Classified.'

'Weasley if you say classified one more time ... I will not be accountable for my own actions.'

'She came back because I asked her to,' Weasley said, 'We needed her expertise, OK.'

'Her expertise, and just what makes her such an expert on this case.'

Weasley looked like he was struggling with himself. 'I can't tell you. It's her business.'

'Her business,' Draco repeated, 'Of course it's her business -'

Draco stopped himself mid-rant. Her business. No, it couldn't be. _'"You've read them - the books - James Evan's books.'"_ How had he missed the way she had asked the question like she had been looking for approval. He had even read her file, her parents' names, she had used parts of their names; her fathers first, her mother's maiden name for the Author's name. _'"She's good"'._ That had been what Weasley had said when Draco had first been reading James Evan's book. She is good, not he ... she. That day Potter had been talking about making an Auror taking a dive off a cliff, with Weasley she hadn't been speaking about actually killing someone, she had written someone off - who else would be such an expert other than the author them self.

'Potter is fucking James Evans, isn't she?'

Weasley neither confirmed or denied it.


	19. Chapter 19

'Mother please,' Draco said exasperatedly. 'I have no time to be going on dates.'

No, he had much more important things to do with his time, like find proof that Potter was James Evans. Weasley had tried to brush him off, tried to tell him differently, but Draco was unconvinced by his act. With Potter on leave due to school holidays, Draco had not realised he had not seen her considering how busy their department was. Well, how busy their office was. Draco along with Weasley had been going through all of the case file details again. Trying to find clues. But the files only seemed to confirm Potter's suspicion.

'Yet you have enough time to sit here and have coffee with me.'

'That is different,' Draco replied. He had no issues with seeing his mother if he wished to.

'If you wished to just have coffee with me, you would not have brought your work along with you.' his mother said.

'This is not anything to do with the case,' Draco said, well at least not really. He had brought old papers with him. For every moment he was not working on their killer, he was trying to see if Potter slipped up. Potter was good, James Evans left no trail. But what if he did? Potter had used her parents' names for the author's name, what if she had used other people's names. It wasn't old newspapers of the _Daily Prophet_ he needed to read, it was James Evans books. 'I've got to go mother. I've just thought of something - it can't wait.'

Draco escaped before she could press the issue of another date upon him. When he got back to his small flat, he pulled the books off the bedside cabinet. He flicked through them, writing down each character's name. None were any names that he knew, they seemed to be all made up. The only ones that reoccurred, were the two Aurors; Kai Mason and his partner Mathew Withers. But hadn't Potter said she killed off the partner recently - so she had no emotional attachment to that character. So it had to be the main character.

But who the hell was Kai Mason? Draco did not think that there were any Masons' in the wizarding community. _She had watched someone she loved die._ That had been what Granger had told him. Had Kai Mason been the very person she loved?

Draco was going to have to start a new search. This time for deaths announcements, around the time Potter would have had her accident. Though he didn't know the exact date, he had a rough timeline of when to look for. When that did not work, he searched a wider timescale. Eventually coming to the conclusion that Potter must have made the name up.

Until an announcement of the sentencing of Jonas Selwyn caught his attention. He was the son of a Death Eater; Llewellyn Selwyn. Jailed for the crimes he had committed against the Mason family. Though it gave no other details, other than how long Selyn's sentence was, the date was a perfect match to the timescale Draco was looking for. He glanced down at his watch, checking the date and time. Astoria would still be working at the archive desk. Taking no chances, Draco made a trip back to work, rather hastily. As he thought Astoria was sitting at the archive desk.

'What is this time?' she asked the moment she saw that it was him.

'The Selwyn case.'

Astoria asked him no further questions, she let him through, and he followed her to the filing cabinet itself. The file was thick, thicker than others he had seen. Mainly because the paperwork had photographs attached to it, each picture that had been taken was of the same room, old and worn out furniture, dusty - the room looked like it had not been cleaned for years. Chains upon one of the walls. With a trembling hand Draco turned the first page over, which only held the case number, name and the arresting Auror's name upon it; Weasley's name.

The victims were only ever named as Theo Mason or Mrs Mason. The woman's forename was never mentioned. Not even the crime that had been committed had been mentioned, when she was mentioned. Draco had a vague idea of what those crimes were if the photographs had been anything to go by. But there was no mention of a Kai. And she had kept it oddly quiet, the fact that she had got married. There was no mention of it in a _Daily Prophet_ anyway, and something like Harianna Potter getting married would have been huge news. It was like she had led two lives. Potter to the wizarding community, hero, and saviour, and Mason for that of her married life. The file did give one useful detail - the last known address for Theo Mason's parents, who had been listed down as the Masons next of kin.


	20. Chapter 20

'He was a lovely little boy.'

Draco listened politely, not wanting to rush the couple. Weasley reminded him often enough about his poor people skills. It still didn't change the fact he had come here to find out what they knew exactly, and to find out who Theo Mason was.

'Came to us as a baby.'

Draco re-framed from rolling his eyes. He disliked the small talk part, but Weasley said the small talk was when most people would reveal the most about themselves. " _Strange what you can find out when you let people ramble on for long enough."_ Draco wondered if Potter had taught him that. But then he realised that they were both right, just how odd was that statement; "came to us as a baby", all human beings were born as a baby.

'When you say came?' Draco said.

'What my wife means is that we adopted him,' Mr Mason said, 'We were his foster parents, and he brought such - well we couldn't bear to part with him.'

'And his parents - birth parents, sorry,' Draco said, 'Do you know what became of them?'

Mrs Mason sniffled, 'No, Theo's adoption file was closed. That only happens when the parents' do not wish to know or want to have any future contact, or the child was taken from an abusive home.' at his surprised look she explained further, 'I used to work with social services.' she wiped her eyes, stopping the forming tears from falling, 'that's how - how we came to get Theo. I was on duty when he was handed over. It was only meant to be for one night, as we were already on the register - we were only meant to care for him for one night - then it turned - it turned out different.'

'I hate to ask,' Draco said, 'but was he your only -'

'Yes,' Mr Mason said, 'We tried, but we were never able to. Theo - turned up when we needed him most.'

'I can't imagine the pain it caused you, to lose your son.'

Mrs Mason sobbed even harder, and Mr Mason put an arm around her to comfort her.

'Sorry,' Mrs Mason mumbled, 'the police said it was one of those burglaries gone wrong -' she shook her head, 'nothing could have been done - gone by their time of arrival.'

'I - I - I'm sorry to have to put you both through this again,' Draco said, 'It's will just be most helpful, like a said, we've got someone either the same culprit or an impersonator -'

'Can't be the culprit,' Mr Mason said, frowning, 'the man that killed our son is in prison - for murder - he's still serving his sentence.'

'I apologize,' Draco said, 'the case details are rather new to me - I haven't been able to go through everything just yet. I just wished to speak with you. I wanted to know what your son was like. To see if he had been targeted for some reason.'

'You don't know about Harianna then?' Mr Mason said.

'Like I said I haven't gone through all the notes, I saw her name, the only details I saw were about her parents who were listed as deceased.' Draco said.

'Poor thing,' Mrs Mason said, a look of pure loathing spread across her face, 'and those relatives of hers - the way they treated her. Why she was just a child!'

'Dear don't get yourself worked up.'

'I'll get worked up if I want to,' Mrs Mason said, 'Only her cousin bothered to show up, remember, her aunt and uncle couldn't find the time - find the time - ha! yeah right!'

'I'm sorry, I'm a little lost,' Draco said, looking from Mr Mason to Mrs Mason.

'Harianna,' Mr Mason said, 'is - was - our son's wife. The police thought that was the reason why they were targeted. Harianna's parents - she found out that they left her quite a bit of money - that she had a lot of money.'

So that had been the story that they had spun them. They used Potters wealth as a way to cover up how Theo Mason had actually died.

'We think that's why they got on so well - both orphans of a sort,' Mrs Mason said, 'they did seem rather suited for one another.'

'I might need to talk to her, do you know where I can find her?' Draco said.

They looked at each other, clearly startled then back at him, it was Mr Mason who replied, 'The same place you'll find our son. We buried them - buried them both together.'


	21. Chapter 21

Harianna was not surprised when Draco Malfoy finally turned up. Ron had warned her, that he had worked out that she was James Evans. And Ron ... was crap at lying. Well at least to those who knew him best. She had not expected Malfoy to turn up in the dead of night, bluntly drunk, whilst trying to hold her at wand point, when she answered the door to him.

'Just who are you,' he stuttered, loudly and Harianna was glad that she agreed Teddy could go to a sleepover, 'and what have you done with Harianna Potter?' he waved his wand around aimlessly, 'Because whoever you are ... you've done a damn good job of impersonating her!'

'Draco come in before you fall on your arse!'

'See,' Malfoy pointed a finger at her, 'This is what I mean - Potter would never call me Draco.'

'Malfoy come in, Now!' she said, 'You're drunk, you need to sober up.' she sighed, as she closed the door behind him, 'I'll make you some coffee, the kitchen is straight ahead. I don't want you out of my sight, god knows what you'll do.'

'It is I who doesn't want you out of my sight,' Malfoy slurred, 'Impostor!'

Harianna made Malfoy sit down, and turned on the kettle. She searched in one of the cupboards that she stored potions in, and found the hang-over potion she had been looking for. She placed a mug of coffee and the potion down before Malfoy and told him to drink.

'How do I know it's not been - been compri -comprised-'

'I think the word you're looking for is compromised!'

'Yeah, that,' Malfoy said, eyeing her in a suspicious manner.

'Malfoy, I can assure you I am not an impostor,' Harianna said.

'They all say that,' Malfoy said, 'If you're really Harianna Potter prove it!'

'My Patronus is a stag,' Harianna said.

'Ha!' Malfoy forced a laugh, 'everyone knows that -'

'Which Ron told me you saw, remember the day Hermione went into labour!'

'Right,' Malfoy said, 'Forgot that. But still, they can change -'

'To the exact shape and size? I think not,' Harianna said, 'Well at least I don't think so. But if you're still not convinced, I handed you back your original wand. And only the two of us know that.'

'Shit!' Malfoy said, 'You really are Potter.' and he took the potion she had placed down for him.

'Why would you think I wasn't?'

'Because,' Malfoy said, now taking a sip of coffee, 'the Masons - your parents-in-law, think that you are.'

Harianna stared at him, he had gone to see Richard and Carole - Fuck!

'How the hell do you know about them?'

'Well,' Malfoy said, sounding a lot soberer, 'I figured it out, why you came back. I know Potter. I know that your James Evans - don't deny it.' Harianna closed her mouth and he added. 'We both know Weasley is a pretty shit liar, to those who know him.'

'Yeah, he is.'

'So once I'd figured that out,' Malfoy said, 'It was a matter of putting everything else together. Weasley had said you got hurt on an old case of his. But I couldn't find it under your name - because I didn't know it wouldn't be under your name, see. I was looking for Potter but it was covered up because you used Mason.'

'You went into the archives!' Harianna said, 'but the file - that file doesn't state -'

'The females name - so I went in search of the guys' parents - you know Theo,' Malfoy had sobered up by this point, he gave her such a knowing look, 'your husband! Theo's parents confirmed everything. But when I asked about you -'

'They told you that I was dead,' Harianna said, finishing his sentence for him.

'So what happened?' Malfoy said, taking another sip out of the mug, 'Why do they think that you're dead.'

'I - we did it to protect them,' Harianna sighed, 'when Theo and I were taken, we were hijacked by two people. They used potions to put us in a sleep-like state, I reckon, because when we woke up - well I couldn't remember how we got there - into that room. Theo died first - they killed him right in front of me - about our third or fourth day there. The days sort of blended together, I lost all track of time-'

'They tortured you, didn't they?'

Harianna nodded, 'I - I was never the same after - went into a right state, wouldn't let anyone near me - it was Teddy who saved me. Having to look after him - best thing that could have ever happened to me.'

'How did you get out?' Malfoy said, 'I saw the photos, I gather you were chained.'

'I thought that he had just made an error: Jonas Selwyn,' Harianna said, 'He came in all cocky like tapping my wand into the palm of his hand.' she laughed in spite of herself, 'Stupid idiot, had my wand and he left the door open. They had charmed it, so even if I had got free of the chains - I would never have got out. They had put wards up so I couldn't even Disapparate.' she took a breath, 'Well I got my wand back - I cast a full body bind against the bastard and sent for Ron.'

'What happened next?'

'Well Jonas was put into a cell awaiting trial, and we didn't know who the other man was,' she said, 'and I didn't want to put Theo's parents at risk like I had him.' Harianna looked at him in the eye, 'It's rather easy faking your own death, it turns out. Bit of Draught of Living Death and well - they thought I was dead. Harianna Mason died alongside her husband due to a burglary went wrong.' she paused, 'Ron got me out, the day of the funeral, disguised as my cousin, we put an Invisibility Cloak over me - and I watched as they buried Theo alongside with an empty coffin. Turned out that Selwyn killed the other guy, they got into a little dispute over what they were going to do with me.'

'So you went back to using Potter?' Malfoy said.

'I only really used Mason in the Muggle world, and for legal documents,' Harianna said, 'I didn't want to drag him into my crazy life. It didn't matter though I still did. I got him killed.'

'It wasn't your fault,' Malfoy said, clutching at his head.

'Maybe you should lie down,' Harianna said, 'There's a spare bedroom ... you can stay here for the night.' Malfoy glared at her. 'It's your own fault you know - what were you thinking? Apparating while drunk! Coming here drunk,' Harianna laughed, 'Bloody hell if I was an impostor I could have beaten you easily.'

'Potter, quit it please,' Malfoy said, 'I wasn't thinking - OK - man my head hurts.'

'Don't look at me, you're getting no sympathy from me.'


	22. Chapter 22

Draco groaned as he woke up, his head was pounding like a herd of Hippogriffs. He was in an unfamiliar room and the distinct smell of bacon hit his nostrils. The previous nights' advents came back to him, and Draco groaned once more. What had he been thinking, coming to Potters' drunk? Sure he had wanted to gain a bit of courage to come here before actually arresting her - arresting Potter, Draco snorted in spite of himself - that hadn't happened and it would never likely happen. If he had just thought it over logically, he would have realised that her apparent death was a cover-up. Merlin she had done it once previously - making everyone believe she was dead, he should have known that this time would have been no different.

Draco got up and put his feet on the floor, he was slightly surprised that his head wasn't spinning around. He obviously did not get as drunk as he felt he had - and then he remembered Potter had sobered him up - Potter had spoken to him last night - Potter -James Evans. Potter admitted she was James Evans. Well, she hadn't said the exact words, but it was close enough. Draco rubbed at his eyes, and frowned at the state of himself, he was still in yesterday robes.

Maybe if he was quiet he could sneak out - because Apparating would alert Potter, that he was now awake. Slowly he made his way down the stairs - he was almost to the bottom when a voice said.

'What are you doing here?'

Stunned Draco froze mid-step, blinking at the stern look Teddy Lupin was trying to give him. It didn't quite work, as Draco was not frightened by the child, especially when said child was sporting blue hair.

'Teddy!' Potter scolded, 'that's not how we treat guests.'

'Sorry,' Teddy said, but it was not in Draco's direction, 'So what are you doing here?'

Like that was any better way to word the question. Absolutely blunt. But Potter had not heard this time as she had returned to the kitchen.

'I was talking with Pot- your godmother, about work.'

Teddy raised his eyebrows, in a questioning manner. 'OK.'

Draco wasn't sure if the Teddy believed him or not.

'Come on kiddo.' Potter called

'I'm not a child!' Teddy retorted.

'Sound like one!' Potter replied, 'Breakfast is ready. You too Draco. No doubt food will do you some good.'

'What's that meant to mean,' Teddy frowned looking at Potter and Draco. 'Ria? Ria? What did you mean?'

Potter rolled her eyes as they entered the kitchen, 'Draco had a little too much drink, and now he's feeling poorly. Food is a really good cure.'

Teddy looked confused and sat down in the chair next to Potter's. Breakfast had been laid out for them. 'If you say so.'

'I really must be going,' Draco said, trying not to seem rude.

'Sit down and eat,' Potter said, 'I made more than enough, besides I told Ron you were with me and that we were going to talk things over.' she gave a pointed look at Teddy, and Draco frowned not completely understanding.

'Is this about the deaths due to James Evans, case thing?' Teddy said looking up hopefully, 'Ron told me - well he tried to lie actually - but he's not very good at it.'

Draco almost laughed, Weasley was being outsmarted by an almost ten-year-old. 'And just how do you know about the deaths in the first place?' Draco asked.

'I can read, you know,' Teddy retorted, 'I'm nine. It's been in the papers. And Hermione, she's helped me with really big words before - she's really clever - did you know that? Not as clever as Ria though.'

'Really!'

'Yeah,' Teddy said earnestly, and then he dropped his voice, 'Did you know that Ria, is James Evans! You have to be really smart to write a book - that's what Hermione says anyway.'

Potter's cutlery dropped from her hands, she gaped at her godson like he had grown an extra head. Teddy looked up at her with a guilty expression upon his face. 'You've been in my study haven't you!'

It was then Draco understood, Potter had not told her godson what she actually did for a living.

'I'm going to be grounded, aren't I?'

'You think?' Potter said, 'I told you not to go in, I told you there was stuff I didn't want you to see or read! How did you get in any way?'

Teddy gave her another guilty look, 'George. He was testing out this key type thing for his joke shop - it can mold to any lock.'

Potter shook her head, and said sternly, 'If you don't tell anyone - else - we'll forget about grounding you. As Ginny already said she'd take you out, but I'm having words with George about giving you stuff from Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes.'

'Really? No grounding! Sweet!' Teddy said, 'In that case then I cast magic yesterday - but it's OK though, Bill fixed Dom's nose - she looks fine. It's not puffed up anymore. And there were no Muggles, so I guess I didn't break any rules either.'

Draco laughed, maybe he had gotten the wrong impression of Teddy Lupin, Potter seemed out of her depths, as she blinked at him. 'If you don't mind Potter, I'd like to go home and change before we talk.'

'We're family right?' Teddy said looking at Draco, 'Ria says that you're my cousin or something. My grandmother and your mother are sisters, right? And that makes us family.'

'Yes, that right,' Draco said not sure where he was going with this.

'Well, families use each other's names. That's what Ria says. So if your my family and Ria looks after me, and that makes her my family, then that makes us all family. So you have to call Ria by her name.'

'Yes that was improper of me,' Draco said agreeing with his logic, and faced Potter, 'forgive me Ria?'

'I think I can let you off.'

'Will you still be here for dinner later?' Teddy said, 'Ria says families have dinner together. I always eat here unless I'm allowed to go for a sleepover. And I won't be back until then I'm going to a Quidditch game with Victoire. Ginny's taking us.'

Draco looked at Potter for assistance, who merely shrugged her shoulders. It was Potter who replied.

'It depends on how long our chat takes, I'm not sure how much we've got left to cover.'

'Oh,' Teddy said, 'Well I hope you are. Then I can tell you all about it.'


	23. Chapter 23

'So how did it all start?' Draco said, taking a sip of his coffee. He was back in Potter's kitchen sipping on the coffee prepared just the way he liked. And he was feeling much better now he had showered and changed.

Potter frowned, 'To be honest I'm not sure how it all started. It just happened.'

'How can something just happen?'

'I didn't mean it that way,' Potter said, 'I - it was never intentional - I never planned to start writing.' she sighed, 'I was - like I've told you already - in a really bad place. Some days it just - it got to much. I could still see everything happen all over again in my dreams. And as I told you it was Teddy that saved me, really.'

'What was he four -five? When my aunt passed?'

'Four - he turned five that year,' Potter said, 'It was - I didn't know if I'd be able to do it - I was never good around small children.'

'You wasn't?' Draco said, surprised by this piece of information.

'Things happened - people change,' Potter said, and as though to make her point she added, 'You changed.'

'Fair enough.'

'I guess it was having to look after someone else, that did it, having someone who was dependant on me - that and I didn't want to let Remus down.' Potter said, 'I don't think I could have lived with myself.'

'I guess it was Teddy who started it all off. He came home from school and they had to make up a little story with pictures of their weekend.' Potter said, 'And Teddy wanted to do something magical - of course - but not wise when one goes to a Muggle school. So we sat down and I helped him write about his non-magical weekend.' Potter had a thoughtful look, 'I don't know what made me do it, but I just sat at my desk later that night - and I just wanted to get everything down. Have things out in the open.'

'When I finished it - I was terrified - I'd literally put myself down into a book. I just had a guys name. I'd used Theo's looks and habits for inspiration - the rubbing his stubble thing - totally Theo.' Potter shook herself from her thoughts, 'I then thought, that maybe I didn't have to let everyone know that it was me, that wrote the story - I guess with my fame I didn't want people picking up the story because I had written it either.'

'So James Evans was born.'

Potter nodded. 'Yeah - I thought it'd just be the one book - but once I started, I found I couldn't stop. I guess it actually helps knowing how Aurors work. So all I had to do was think of ways my killers could mislead them and motives.'

'Weasley said you were always good at getting inside criminals heads.'

'There was that too,' Potter said, 'I could just look at something sometimes and just see past everything - like I knew what the killer was trying to say - or what we needed to look for. I made mistakes sure - I'm not prefect - but after Voldemort - having to run around and think like another person - well it became second nature.'

'If you don't mind me asking,' Draco said, 'but what was he like? Theo?'

'A breath of fresh air.' Potter said. 'That's the only way I can describe it. Theo came into my life and provided stuff I never had much of before. To think it just started out because my shopping bag spilt. That was how we met - our local supermarket.'

'So where did you get the name Kai from?' Draco asked, and Potter paled.

'That I'm afraid is personal,' she paused, clearly thinking of how to try to word it, 'it's just really personal.'

'Another secret?' Draco said, asking the question before he had thought it through. Potter was clearly upset as tears rolled down her cheeks.

'You could say that, I've had plenty,' Potter said, 'But Kai - it's just personal - and I do not wish for you to know.'

'Secret like how the Muggles you lived with treating you unfairly,' Draco said, it had been bugging him slightly after learning about it, 'Mrs Mason might have mentioned it amongst her rambling.'

'I'm going to have words with Ron,' Potter said, 'His telling you all the best ways to get information from someone.'

'So he did learn it from you.'

'Of course he did,' Potter retorted, shaking her head, 'The two things I taught him, he passed on.'

'Ask the right questions.'

'And listen to people's rambles.' Potter finished. 'Yeah, the Muggles didn't like me much. It doesn't matter, that was some time ago.'

'You seemed close to your cousin though,' Draco said.

'Dudley? We weren't always,' Potter said, 'We rekindled after the war. Dudley just turned out to be more appreciative than I thought him to be.'

'You still gave him the money to get up his business,' Draco said.

'OK, how the hell did you know - you were there - I thought someone was - I thought Pearson maybe as the twat kept asking me for dates.'

'He did take a strange liking to you.'

'Yes - luckily he's backed off now - it was starting to get annoying repeating myself over and over. How many times does it take to get a hint. You think if you told someone that you don't date, they'd get the point.'

'You don't date?'

'I quite like my quiet little life - just me and Teddy. No hassle - Though Teddy seems to like you - don't be surprised if he tries to set us up,' Potter said, and Draco heart skipped a beat. 'The kid has got it in for me - apparently I need to get out more, so next weeks treat for not using magic - is actually a treat for myself - I'm to go out - on a bloody date of all things!'


	24. Chapter 24

'Hi.'

Draco frowned at the blue haired boy that had opened the door. When Teddy somehow talked him into taking Potter on a date, he had not been expecting this. As far as he was aware Teddy should have at Bill's.

'I'm grounded ...' Teddy explained, 'I cast magic at school today .. but I said to Ria that it was to late to cancel. So your having dinner with us tonight. Hope you like lasagna 'cause that's what we've got.'

'Lasagna is fine.'

'He said that's fine!' Teddy shouted down the hall. He moved out of the way so Draco could step through. 'Well come in then. You didn't bring flowers! I thought guys were meant to do mussy stuff like bring flowers on dates for girls?'

'I didn't know the kind your godmother liked best.'

'Ria has no favourites she likes all kinds. If your quick enough you could magic some up. That's what Ron does when he's in trouble with Hermione. Girls are strange, aren't they? How can flowers make you happy? They just wilt and make the place smell funny. I'm really lucky though Ria doesn't have flowers all over the house, so it doesn't smell.'

'Teddy take Draco's cloak. Quit being rude. It's impolite to keep guests waiting by the door!' Potter said from the kitchen doorway.

Draco took a breath. She was wearing a simple dark blue dress, her hair fell down in lose wavy locks. Potter looked beautiful.

'Sorry may I take your cloak?'

Draco felt a tug on his arm when he made no motion to move. He had just been watching Potter move from the doorway, hypnotised by Potters' movements and the long legs he caught sight of, though he had seen Potter before, he had not taken much time to appreciate or take the time to appreciate her slender body. 'Oh yes, thank you, Teddy.'

'Come then, I mean this way if you please,' Teddy said tucking his head low into a bow and gesturing towards the kitchen.

'Your doing a fine job, proper little gentleman,' Draco praised him.

'Thanks. I would have helped cooked too,' Teddy said, looking slightly disappointed, 'But Ria won't let me near the oven - says I'm not old enough. Have you ever heard of such a stupid thing! You think she didn't know how old I am. It's not like I'm silly -' Teddy stopped by the kitchen door and a serious expression grew upon his face, before he opened it. Potter was taking dinner out of the oven, 'Ria your date is here. I'll just go -'

'You'll have dinner before you go anywhere - thank you.' Potter said sternly, indicting to a nearby chair.

'But that's not how dates go! Bill said-'

'I don't care what Bill said about how dates usually go!' Potter replied, setting down a dish upon the table, which had been laid out, 'Now sit down. Hello Draco.'

'Sorry about this!' Teddy mumbled at him, sitting down in a seat, 'I tried.'

'It's OK, I'm sure this will be nice too.' Draco said.

Throughout dinner Teddy kept glancing between Potter and Draco, clearly unimpressed by how this "date" was exactly going. Teddy also kept nudging his head in Potters direction whilst staring at Draco. Like Draco needed a bigger hint that he should be making small talk with Potter - but this was rather awkward - they had a third party - and a certain part of his anatomy was making him feel rather uncomfortable.

'That was lovely,' Draco said as soon as dinner had been cleared up, 'my compliments to the chef.'

Potter gave him a slight smile. 'There's crème brûlée for desert, when you've got room for it. Because I know I haven't got any yet.'

Teddy rolled his eyes, giving a sigh of relief - and tried to slid out of his seat unnoticed - but nothing got passed Potter it seemed.

'Where do you think you're going?'

'To my room,' Teddy said smiling at her with an innocent expression upon his face.

'You're grounded - which means no fun Teddy - no toys - no reading - nothing - so you're not going to your room until I've cleared it out - and don't forget you get extra chores - you can start by doing the dishes.'

'I can't wait until I'm eleven.'

'Even then you can't use magic outside of school!' Potter said, 'Now please excuse me but I've got to raid someone's bedroom - and change - I look ridiculous!'

'You look really pretty!' Teddy said, 'Doesn't she Draco?'

'You look beautiful,' Draco assured her.

'For a date, maybe, but in my own home - the only reason I didn't change before you got here was because I didn't have enough time!'

And Potter left the room. Teddy began to fill up the sink.

'I'll give you a hand.'

'But your a guest - guests aren't meant to help.'

'But it will get done quicker,' Draco looked around, 'And you might be able to salvage some of your things.'

Teddy grinned, 'OK - but if I get caught I'm telling Ria it was your idea.'

Draco chuckled as Potter came back into the room - she hadn't changed, he was glad to notice. Draco felt like he could get used to this - really used to this - Pott- Ria and Teddy. Ria crossed the kitchen to join them - Draco washed, Teddy dried and Ria put the things away.


	25. Chapter 25

'Right let's go over all of this again.'

They were all back in what Draco liked to think of as their office. Ria, Weasley and his office - even if Ria wasn't technically an Auror.

'We've been over the files - several times.' Weasley said sounding quite irritated.

'Yes,' Ria said, 'but we're looking at with a different prospective weren't we. But now we have new information we should go over it all again from the beginning. So we can build up a profile of who we need to look for.'

'Right, so let's start with what we definitely know,' Draco said, 'we know that our killer can read. And the bastard decided to use the scenes for his own sexual pleasure.'

'And that he investigates the areas first - so he has knowledge and can use it to his advantage.'

'And we know that he is fully aware that we're all working on the case,' Ria said, 'or other wise Abigail Bennett's head wouldn't have been upon your desk with the note, Ron.'

'So he wanted us to know - but still wanted to be in charge of the situation at the same time!' Weasley said. 'The guy's fucked up!'

'We also know he likes to use busy places to pick his victims,' Draco added, 'more crowded - less of a chance of being seen.'

'Then that begs the question of how he lured his victims,' Ria said, 'Amilie and Maria - well he could have just lured them under false pretence of seeing something unusual and Apparated them - but the other girls - I don't think - he's not someone that knows how to charm or woo over females.'

'So he's single!' Weasley said.

'Most definitely - the raping - he likes it - wants to see the fear - if it had just been about sex - why rape? No he likes it - feeds of it - maybe? So, definitely single - because he sure is not getting any. I doubt any woman would stand to be with him for longer than two minutes.'

'That's why there's been such a gap - to begin with our killer was sticking to the time distance between each point - but if - as he's one of us - he would have been put on cases -'

'Which would have given him time to view any of these areas - we investigate all over the place.' Draco said.

'Yes, we do,' Ria said, smiling, 'And I think for once we're one step ahead of our killer. Exactly how friendly are you with Astoria?'

'You want to get into the case files?'

'No the tracking files!'

Draco was astonished that Ria knew there was such a thing, but then he remember who it was that was that was talking. The tracking files were always kept in a sealed room - which they would need permission to get into - as it stored the whereabouts of undercover Aurors.

'I helped invent the watch Draco - I know Auror movements can be tracked -'

'You did - I - just - anything else I should know?'

Weasley laughed his head off, 'Ria had help you know - George - Kingsley - Hermione.'

'We needed a newer way of knowing where Aurors were - without having to go through all the files and assignments - I gave the watch idea - after watching the hands on the clock at The Burrow change.'

'And because it's not odd for someone to be wearing a watch - that's really clever.' Draco said, 'Right let's go catch this bastard.'

They made their way down, only to be stopped by a massive crowd gathering around at the end of the corridor.

'What happened?' Draco asked.

'Didn't you hear - the whole storage place has been set alight - Astoria was on her break when it happened - they've only just managed to put out the flames.'

'And the files?' Ria asked.

'Gone - all gone!'

'Bastard!' Weasley swore under his breath, 'Fucking bastard! I'm starting to get the impression we're out of depths. Always several steps behind.'

'We at least know one thing for sure,' Ria whispered, 'It is definitely an Auror. No one else can get down here.'

'So how are we meant to catch a rouge Auror?' Draco asked, as they headed back up their office. It was not as they had left it - in the time they had gone down they had a visitor - the killer had left another message.

 _I'm going to take away everything you love,  
You best say your goodbyes Auror Weasley and Malfoy,  
There will be nothing left of their bodies by the time I'm through._


	26. Chapter 26

Draco had never known things in their office to be so tense. Weasley walked around with a sore head, snapping at anyone whop dared to so much blink at him. Which irritated Draco to no end. Ria became the source of reason. Both the Manor and Weasley's place had been given added protection for safety precautions. They had not heard from their killer since he had left his last note. Which only frustrated them more - always having to check over their shoulders.

They had searched the remains of what was left of the tracking files - but even the case file had taken extensive damage - the only way they could figure that their killer had got in was by using a Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes Unlock-it-all Key, which George had up on sale three weeks before the fire had taken place. It had taken them two days to shift through all the receipts they could trace to find out that their killer had paid upfront and not by their vault, as no Auror names cropped up.

But Draco was worried they killer had stated bodies meaning more than one - had stated that he was going to attack everything they loved - and try as he might Draco could not stop himself for falling for Ria. He had taken to meeting up with her before work, walking Teddy to school and returning them both home - to where he'd knew they would be safe, under Ria's own wards. But the moment he returned home, the worry would start up again.

...

'Morning,' Weasley greeted as Draco walked into the office with Ria, again. And Draco could tell from the tone in Weasley's voice, that he was not impressed.

'Do we want to know?'

'Bentley wants to pull the plug on extra precautions-'

'WHAT? Why?'

'Because - well the killer hasn't tried to do anything, so he thinks that we've scared him off - and that it is a waste of time and resources.'

'Lives are at stake - just - what the hell!'

'Why not just use the Fidelius Charm?' Ria suggested, 'We could do it over The Burrow, your place Ron, and Malfoy Manor, Draco's flat -'

'That's a lot of stress - and it's not just The Burrow that would need the protection - George's place, Bill's - Percy's - Ginny's - but it might be our only choice.'

'And we'd need a Secret Keeper - unless we did it ourselves -' Draco sighed, 'but I agree it does sound like it's our only choice. When do the protections fall?'

Weasley consulted his watch, 'an hour ago.'

'We best get moving then. My mother is out - we'll start with your lot - as there are so many of you.'

'You say that, like it's a bad thing.'

'I merely implied that - we're rather behind our killer and haven't got enough -'

A silver light burst into the office and an otter Patronus appeared; it said only two words in a rather panicked sounding voice that belonged to Granger. 'RON HELP!'

Draco turned to face Weasley - who looked ash-white.

'Where would she be about this time normally?'

'Nursery - on her way home from nursery -'

'I'm coming with you -' Ria said, 'Draco check on your mother.'

Draco did not need telling twice - the three of them ran out of the door towards the Apparition point.


	27. Chapter 27

'I'm fine!'

Harianna and Ron exchanged looks at the laboured breathing woman in front of them. Hermione looked completely out of breath.

'Rose - Hugo?'

'Fine ... just ran back ... to check ... they're fine.'

Ron swooped Hermione up into a hug, and kissed the top of her head. 'What happened?' he asked once she'd calmed down.

'I was followed ... someone was following me - I'm sure of it,' Hermione whispered.

'What happened?'

'As I was making my way back home - I thought I was being followed - I caught sight of one person,' Hermione said, 'Ron they looked oddly like - they looked like Draco!'

'It can't have been!' Ron exclaimed, 'we were literally just with him!'

'I know - but I'm telling you that's what I saw - that's why I sent a Patronus - I thought - Ron I thought -'

'I know, it's OK,' Ron said consoling her, then he turned to face Harianna, 'We should check on Draco.'

'Manor?' Harianna said, 'It's the only place they might be - but Draco said his mother was out -'

'I'll check Diagon Alley - if she's out she might be there - you check the Manor - hopefully his mother might have not left -'

Harianna Apparated the gates of Malfoy Manor - the last time she had been here had been under completely different circumstances. The last time the Snatchers had to ask for entry to the Manor - this time, it had been as though the gates had been expecting her arrival, as they opened before she even reached them. She kept her wand raised expecting wards to erupt - to sense that there was an intruder, none came. The main door welcomed her approach too allowing her entry. Harianna kept a firm grip on her wand as she past the door, closing it behind her - she had an odd feeling she was walking into a trap.

Light brought to life the dark hallway in front of her. With no clue as into where Mrs Malfoy could be - or anyone else for that matter, Harianna stepped cautiously as she walked further into the Manor. She did not call out, she did not want to alert anyone to her presence. Silence greeted her as she checked room after room - until a strange muffled sound greeted her - the room from which the sound occurred was straight ahead of her. Slowly she opened the door - wand at the ready. But there was no sign of an attack - instead the strange muffled sound she had heard had come from something - or rather someone; Draco Malfoy.

Only he was not his normal self - wings had appeared and he was crouched over a body upon the floor. Harianna had never been this close to transformed Veela before. She stepped into the room and her heart skipped a beat as she recognised the room itself - the same room in which Hermione had once been tortured. Draco looked up - his face looked gaunt - tears rolling his cheeks. His eyes seemed to be constricted - and Harianna noticed his hands hand changed to - long -fingered nails clutched at the body beneath his own. Narcissa Malfoy's unmoving body - she did not need much more information as into the reason behind Draco's transformation.

She did not know what made her approach - or what made her reach out a hand - Draco moved so quickly that she thought he was going to attack her - but instead arms held her shoulders - Draco's head buried into her shoulders. Harianna let him sob uncontrollably.

'I've got you - you're not alone anymore - you don't have to - you've got us; Teddy and I, we're family, remember.'

Harianna had no idea how to comfort Draco the Veela - she just rambled, trying to reassure him. But it worked - the wings disappeared and so had the nails she felt digging into shoulders. Draco glanced up his eyes searching hers intensely.

'Weasley?' he asked hoarsely.

'OK,' Harianna replied, 'all OK. I think Hermione might have scared him off with her Patronus.'

Draco nodded in understanding, he straightened himself up, though he did not remove himself completely from her embrace, 'I really want to catch this bastard.'

'And we will.'

'I can't - I don't want -'

He seemed to be unsure of how to voice himself, though Harianna had a feeling as into what he was trying to say.

'You can stay with me - I'm sure Teddy would love that.'


	28. Chapter 28

'You should tell her.'

Draco looked up from his desk, Ria had just left to collect Teddy. Weasley was looking at him with a serious expression

'Ria.'

'I should tell her what exactly?'

Weasley scowled, 'Just why the Malfoy Manor wards let her through with no problems ... she thinks you just hadn't had time to reinstate the original wards ...'

'Potter was-'

'Potter?' Weasley laughed, 'Seriously? ... You're living with her now ... and she's gone back to Potter! What did she do?'

'Fine, Ria was imaging -'

'Bullshit!' Weasley said, 'and we both know it - Ria knows what she is talking about ... plus there is the fact the wards wouldn't let me through the gates - I had to Floo in.' Weasley paused, 'Speaking of which - that's how we think .. you know ... he got in.'

'It would explain why ... mother had been in ... that ... room.' Draco said, shaking his head.

'It's only been two weeks ... give yourself some-'

'Do not finish that sentence Weasley - I'm fine!'

'You're not fine,' Weasley said, 'You are not Ria ... so don't try the "I'm fine" act with me ... I've been friends with her long enough to know when someone is fine and when they're not.' Weasley gave another sigh, 'you let her come near you while transformed ... I know what that means Draco - I've got a sister-in-law that's part Veela - I know that you love her, you would have attacked her otherwise -'

'It doesn't matter!'

'Doesn't matter?' Weasley replied, 'Of course it does ...'

Weasley trailed off noticing Draco's glare.

'Fine - it's none of my business - I just think you should tell her is all!'

'You're right,' Draco snapped, 'I do - I do love her ... but with what happened to-'

'Ria has the heaviest warded place in Britain,' Weasley said, 'No one can get there unless she let's them into her wards ... a little charm called the Fidelius Charm.'

'But Ria took me to her place - I thought she had to reveal -'

'She did, you don't have to tell someone the name of the place to let them in on the Secret -'

'So if she - oh, this is even more of a reason not to - they could make her-'

'Ria would rather die, than have Teddy get hurt - she trusted you - don't ask me why, I haven't got a clue.'

'Because ... it was the right thing to do,' Draco responded, 'I wanted - after that surveillance we did in the club, I wanted to see her home - and she let me.'

'You're the first person to be let in on the secret - well outside of the family anyway.' Weasley said, 'So, the question is now, what do you do with this information?' Weasley paused, 'I'm not saying you shouldn't grieve - or that you should jump into a relationship ... 'cause if you hurt her I have no problems in castrating you.'

'Weasley don't you think you're being a bit hypocritical?' Draco said, 'Didn't you tell Ria she wasn't allowed to go around threatening people?'

'This is different,' Weasley shrugged, 'firstly because I'm an Auror and can make it look like a complete accident - secondly because she is my best friend and thirdly, because I'm the one who's threatening you.'

'Well you can stow away your wand - I have no intentions of hurting her - hell I don't even want to tell her -'

'Yeah well you're just being foolish there, mate,' Weasley said, 'Don't let our killer stop you from doing stuff or taking the risk with Ria. If you do ... it will be like he got to you ...'

'Point taken - I'll talk with her ... soon, but not right now.'


	29. Chapter 29

'I'm going to have Malfoy Manor destroyed!' Draco paused for a moment, 'And I was thinking of returning to my flat.'

'Say it one more time and you might convince me, you mean it.'

Draco sighed, he had tried for the last month to tell Ria his ... feelings, but he had not wanted to rush things. And with the death of his mother being so recent ... he wanted to make sure that his feelings were not mixed up - he wanted to start ... whatever it was they had with a clear head. He didn't want to have any regrets on either side.

'You're not helping Astoria.'

'Not my fault that you are unconvincing,' Astoria replied taking a sip out of her cup. They had met up for coffee, Draco had wanted to see how she was getting along after the fire. 'The only part that sounds at all convincing is having Malfoy Manor destroyed.'

'That because I can't stand being there.'

'Of course not, how could you after what -' Astoria trailed off, turning her head away. 'But you are only trying to fool yourself that you want to return to your flat.'

'It is probably why I haven't been able to -,' Draco stopped, 'this is what my mother wanted, she wanted for me to find someone after we fell apart. So why am I not -'

Well he knew why he wasn't grabbing it with both of his hands, he would land up on his back upon the floor again. Well he was pretty sure that would be where he would land up.

But he was emotionally attached to Harianna Potter ... and Teddy. Draco knew it, the Veela knew it, yet he was to damn scared it would all fall apart - too damn scared their killer would go for her.

'Because you're an idiot!' Astoria said calmly, 'you're trying to follow your head Draco - which is all well and good - but exactly how many times have you practised that shitty "I'm leaving" speech of yours?'

'Dunno,' Draco shrugged, 'A few times - all last night - I thought Harianna actually heard me at one point.'

'You're not going to like hearing this, because I'm going to repeat a bit of advise you once gave me,' Astoria said, settling down her cup, and squeezing his hand, 'follow your heart, Draco and do the right thing. Isn't that why you became an Auror in the first place? And why you never left? Because it was the right thing to do?'

Draco snorted, even times when he tried to be away from Ra, she still managed to be around.

'I have no doubt you'll catch your mother's killer-'

A beep sounded from Draco's watch. He was currently on leave, Bentley seemed to think that Draco needed time to get his head straight, so there was only one reason why he would be contacted.

'What is it Draco?'

Draco looked back at Astoria, he must have been frowning, the message had been indeed from Weasley though it had not contained what he thought it would.

'I have to go,' he said, 'Teddy's missing.'

'Of course, go, go. I'll settle this, go.'

'Thanks, I owe you Astoria.'

Draco would never forgive himself ... first his mother and now Teddy. He would not let the killer have Teddy. It was not happening. Draco checked his watch for the time before Disapparating, Teddy should have been collected from school an hour a go. Ria most likely would have headed home. Or at least that's where he hoped she'd be.

Draco wasn't wrong, Ria was pacing the length of the kitchen, Hermione greeted him with a timid smile, a pot of tea and several mugs had been placed on the kitchen table.

'DRACO!'

Ria sounded relieved to see someone else.

'What happened?'

'Teachers think - Teddy asked - oh,' she said, her hands framing her forehead.

Draco reached out and touched her shoulder, 'it's OK.' he faced Hermione, 'What happened?'

'Teachers think that Teddy left the school grounds early - about five or so minutes before they were due to finish. He asked to use the bathroom.'

'Weasley?'

'Which one?' Hermione said, hotly, 'There are several Weasleys looking for him right now!' she took a breath, 'Sorry, Ron's checking around the school - the security camera just showed he walked off on his own - nothing else. We checked Bill's, George's place and Percy's. They are out looking for him now.'

'Ginny?'

'Away,' Ria whispered, 'she's travelling for the _Prophet_ at the moment.'

'Right, well if he went on his own and there was no evidence he was approached then something must have happened at school, right?'

Hermione seemed hesitant, 'we're not sure.'

'Where would he go? Did he have money to go anywhere?' Draco asked Ria.

She gave a thoughtful look, and pointed out the window to the far off distance, 'The graves ... his parents' graves. He could easily get on a bus - they're in the next village.'

'I'll check it out.'

'I should go with you.'

'Stay here,' Draco said, rubbing her shoulders. And though she tensed, he gathered it was not from his actions to reassure her.

'I need to do something,' her voice was weak, breaking with the emotions she was clearly feeling.

'You are,' Draco said, 'someone needs to be here in case he returns. I'll check it out. I'll bring him home, I promise you Ria. I'll bring him home.'

Draco wasted no time, he knew no words were needed to be exchanged to Hermione to say put - to remain with Ria. Having no clear destination did not help him, the next village was not much to go on, he nearly splinched himself upon landing at the outskirts, as he only had a rough idea of where he was going. Draco transfigured his clothes having no idea if the village was Muggle or not. The church was not heard to find, he should see the bell-tower in the distance.

He must have looked so odd running like a lunatic, but Draco did not care what he looked to the people he rushed past. He sprinted ... grateful that at least his job had kept him in shape ... he sprinted like his life depended on it. He skidded to avoid hitting the stone wall that surrounded the headstones of the graveyard - running alongside it until he halted ... stumbling as he reached the gap in the wall in which held an iron gate. He heard it clatter behind - as he pushed it open quite forcefully, and began to scan the gaps in the headstones.

'TEDDY!'

There was no reply - Draco was frantic - he had to be here ... he just had to be. Draco ran the length of the headstones, then down alongside them. It was quiet ... Draco was not going to give up ... he ran to the very back of the graveyard ... scanning , searching - grave after grave, something blue caught his eye and he backtracked -

Curled up into a tight ball, pressed against a headstone was the unmistakable blue-hair of Teddy Lupin.

Teddy looked up, tears streaming down his eyes. 'Go away!'

'I'm afraid I can't do that, you've had us all quite worried.'

'Don't care!'

'Yes you do,' Draco said, crouching beside him, 'care to tell me what happened? - why you're here?'

'No I don't -' Teddy turned his head. 'I hate you - I'm not telling you a thing.'

Draco was baffled, he was not sure what he had done - then a thought occurred to him. 'You thought I was going to leave you - didn't you?'

Teddy sniffled, but said nothing.

'You overheard me - saying I wanted to go back to my flat - last night.' Draco still got no reply. So he sat down on the grass and waited.

'Everyone I love goes away - my parents - Ria said that they died fighting for my future ... but I don't understand - why would they do that? Why leave me with Gran? And then Gran -' Teddy stopped, 'Ria - she's been good to me - it - she wasn't always like how she is. She's cool now. She lets me actually do stuff - not that she didn't before - but she was always around - she said she was doing it for them - that she was protecting me for them.' he paused, 'I wish they never joined in - I wish they were here - but they all go away eventually - everyone I love. And now you - I thought you liked us - who will I have when Ria goes -'

Draco looked up at the clear sky. 'I only wanted - I felt like I had taken up enough of your godmothers time and space. I no longer wanted to intrude - invade on your space.'

'That's stupid.' Teddy said.

'I know,' Draco sighed, 'Adults can also do and think silly things sometimes - we don't always know best - we only try to do our best - to do what is right.'

'Ria says, the hardest thing to do sometimes is the right thing. Says people get hurt from it.'

'Your godmother is a very smart woman.'

Teddy sniffled, 'It's not going to stop me from being grounded though.'

Draco laughed, 'No it's not.' and he turned to face the small boy. 'I'd like to stay if that's OK with you.'

'You won't leave?'

'I might need to collect some stuff - sort out what I want from my place and the Manor. So I won't be around for a few days but I won't leave.'

'You promise?'

'I promise.'

'Then - I guess you can stay.' there was another pause. 'Draco, can you be grounded too. It will be more fun if I have someone to join me.'

'Sure - we'll think of something on the way back, speaking of which I should contact Ria - let her know I found you.' Draco said, 'And I think you should tell your godmother about how your feeling -'

'But I don't want to upset her - she -' Teddy said looking distraught.

'Talk to her - it will make you feel better - trust me.'


	30. Chapter 30

'Thanks for today.'

Draco looked up, Ria entered the living room and sat down next to him on the sofa.

'For bringing him home - for talking to him - for getting him to talk to me. I had no idea he felt like that.' she sighed heavily, a thoughtful look plagued her face.

'No worries - how is he?'

'Better ... I think,' she shook her head, 'I just - God I never realised I was being ... crap - I swore ... I swore he'd have a different life to mine. All I did was doom him.'

'You did what you thought was best - nothing less.'

'I was an overprotective shit - I wouldn't let him even graze a knee - what kind of childhood is that!'

'Sounds like the one I had.' Draco said, 'My mother was quite protective of me - as you may have gathered from - well yeah, it's not that she would stop me from doing things - but everything -' Draco laughed, 'the first time I flew on a broom - she charmed the damn thing not to go at full speed, and cushioned the ground.'

'OK I don't feel so bad now.' Ria said, 'I've never done that.'

'And you didn't shout at him or ground him.' Draco added. 'He thought he was going to be at least grounded.'

'As scared out of my wits as I was ... I'm just grateful that he's home.' she replied, her eyes watching the flames in the fire. 'As angry as I was ... I'd never forgiven myself ...'

Draco noticed that there were actual tears in her eyes. 'Ria what is it?'

She shook her messy hair, 'He did a right number on me - Teddy - is the first person I allowed myself to love unconditionally after - and today of all days ... it brought back - a lot of memories, I thought I'd lost him ...' Draco wiped the falling tears with his thumb, he struggled to hear Ria's next words, as she spoke in just above a whisper, 'I can't lose anyone else.'

Draco held her, Ria pressed against his chest, as her body begun to shake - it was awkward due to the position they were sitting in, but he did not break the contact, he let her cry.

'Sorry.' she rubbed at her eyes, that were blotchy and look slightly red. 'You're right - no point dwelling on what I've done - just learn and move forward.'

'He loves you ... he's just scared of what will happen if he lost you,' Draco said, putting a finger under her chin to tilt her head up so her eyes met his, 'and he's not the only one.'

The next morning was slightly uncomfortable, Teddy kept glancing at Harianna questionably, then towards Draco unsure of what to make of her quiet behaviour. Harianna avoided making eye contact with him, stirring her porridge aimlessly. Draco regretted saying it so soon. He wasn't sure what to do he had promised Teddy he wouldn't leave but had complicated things between Harianna and himself. It wasn't until Teddy went to collect his school things, did Harianna say anything.

'I like you too.'

Draco thought he had heard things, as she had spoken that softly. But the faint blush upon her cheeks was clear enough to indicate that he heard heard her correctly.

'I didn't say anything -' Harianna bit her lip, 'because I wanted - with everything that happened yesterday.'

Draco leaned over and kissed her forehead, 'I understand - no need to explain yourself. What say ... we try doing that date we should have had again.'

'I'd like the sound of that.'


	31. Chapter 31

**_A.N. Chapter contains scenes of a sexual nature. Rated M for a reason. This is my only warning._**

* * *

Draco had forgotten that the outside world existed - he had grown content with his life. Then their killer had to reappear, on the night he and Ria had arranged to go on another date. In total they had been on three now, four if he included the one when they took Teddy to the cinema. Their eyes would find each others across the table - hands would brush against the others - it was quite endearing and rather frustrating. Though they had kissed, they hadn't gone much further because Teddy was mainly around and Harianna was rather hesitant, not that he could blame her.

'Just how bad is it?' Draco asked when he reached the landing. He had just reached Harianna's, when his watch at gone off. Luckily it was before he made it through the door, or Ria would have insisted in coming along, and with Teddy away for the night spending it together here was not how he envisioned their time together.

Weasley looked rather pale, and was struggling to answer. Weasley shook his head. In truth Draco had forgotten what killing came next after the double killing, until Ria reminded him. Draco pushed the door open to the bedroom and suspended from a rope was their victim. The victims' hands had been tied behind her back. The female was naked, and there were lacerations to her skin and ligature marks and the victim had been gagged.

Draco closed the door again, 'stupid question - there goes date night.'

'I wondered why Ria wasn't with you.' Weasley said, 'does she even know you're here.'

'Not really.'

'you can't protect her from it,' Weasley said, then he dropped his voice, 'she writes this kinda stuff for a living.'

'Could we just log the scene so we can get back to where we are meant to be normally.'

Weasley held up his hands, ' _touchy!'_

It was times like these Draco loved the fact they could use magic to log everything - he had learnt in his training that when Muggles did it, that it would take several hours to itemise a crime scene. Even with magic it wasn't until four hours later did he return Harianna's.

He opened the door and was greeted by a stunning sight. Harianna had been going up the stairs - by the looks of things - wearing a black dress, her long hair was down in loose curls. Draco greeted her with a tired smile.

'Another one?'

'The hanging.'

Harianna stood about three or four steps up the stairs. 'Oh.' She sunk to sit upon the a step. 'I thought you'd changed your mind - that ... doesn't matter, you missed dinner -' she pointed to the kitchen, 'I made some - just in case ... why didn't you tell me or send for me?'

'I was hoping it wasn't out killer,' Draco said, capturing one of her hands bringing her fingers up to his lips, 'I was hoping that I wouldn't be too long.' he kissed the back of her hand, 'that I wouldn't miss this - are you tired?'

'Not really.'

'Come join me - I think I might have brought some of the wine that was at Manor before I had it destroyed back with me.'

'You did, it's at the back of the cabinet.'

'Did I,' Draco pulled Harianna to her feet gently, 'I wondered where I put it.'

'You actually put it in the pantry - I moved it.' Harianna said, walking down the steps, 'Draco - just how unpleasant was it?'

Draco winced, 'It wasn't exactly nice - come - no more talk of James Evans, because I don't want him to spoil the rest of our night.'

'But Draco.'

'You can find out in the morning Ria,' Draco said, 'from the report and photographs - now can we talk about bunnies and rainbows or some such nonsence.'

Harianna giggled, 'bunnies and rainbows?'

'First thing that was not violent to come to mind.'

She looked amused, Draco just smirked.

'Bunnies and rainbows,' she shook her head, 'fine I'll give you bunnies and rainbows.'

Draco kissed her swiftly upon the lips, went in search for his dinner as his stomach was beginning to talk to him. They curled up on the sofa afterwards, Draco had an arm nestled around Ria, his other hand holding the glass of wine. They sipped at wine, and exchanged lingering kisses.

Draco didn't know if it was the alcohol that gave him the confidence to do it, or if it had been the amount of desire he had pouring through his veins. But his hand - glass of wine now long forgotten - was buried in Ria's hair, Ria was now pressed against him, her arms were resting upon his his chest, her hands nearby his neck. His free hand had skimmed the hem of her dress the moment they had found themselves in this position, his hand then run down her back towards her bum to the hem of her dress. Draco didn't want to push Ria into anything ... but when her body was brought closer to his as their kisses grew from slow and sweet lingering kisses to tongues swirling and passion building, the hand that had been in her hair fell. In one swift motion Draco had brought the hem of her dress up and underwear down.

Ria was not as wet as he thought she would have been, but he had time - Teddy was gone for the night - and despite his own aching arousal he knew he had to take his time. If he rushed her now ... he'd lose her for good. It was difficult given their position for him to be able to pleasure her - Draco moved gently pushing Ria back into a sitting position ... slowly he inched a finger inside her. Harianna didn't flinch but she did grip onto his shoulder. Even like this Draco had to be patient - it wasn't the perfect position or place to be - but he didn't want to move her - not now he had gotten this far - he didn't want to spook her into stopping this - and he was a selfish bastard, well more he had selfish reasons.

Ria's wetness built up and Draco was able to slid another finger in - Ria gasped and then moaned and that was enough for Draco. His free hand went to the back of her dress and unzipped it. He tugged one strap to fall off her shoulder and pushed the other off rather awkwardly. The straps dropped far enough that he didn't need to pull the dress down - it exposed Ria's bra. Then he unclasped her bra and slipped the straps off exposing her breasts. Draco released Ria's mouth - her breast were bigger than he imagined them to be, considering her slender frame. He pulled the straps from her arms for easier access, entered a third finger, and kissed the newly exposed skin.

He didn't bit or nip at her ... not sure if the action would unsettle her. He swept his tongue across a nipple until it hardened then repeated the progress with the other one. He made sure to stop at any indication she no longer wanted this but Harianna seemed too far gone in her own lust. Desire filled her eyes, her hips moved against his fingers. Then quite suddenly something else filled her half closed eyes. Her eyes closed, completely her head fell back as she reached her climax. Then Harianna's eyes snapped open, widening, filled with wonder and embarrassment. She looked like she couldn't believe what had just happened.

They did make it to Harianna's bedroom after that - Draco had shred his own clothes much quicker than he had when he'd taken off Ria's. Then he did something that made him nervous as how he knew Ria to be feeling, for the first time since being with someone, he spread out his wings - having not wanting to fall into being stuck with the wrong person, it was how he had managed to walk away from Astoria so easily. There was no going back after this, he knew that and the Veela part of him agreed that this was it, Ria had been the person he'd been looking for.

Harianna did tense when he tried to enter her much later - but he instinct told him it was the position rather than fear - Draco went back to kissing the scars upon her body that she tried to stop him from seeing - Harianna seemed more concerned by them than anything else about her body. But Draco found he didn't care that they were there, or where she had got them from - though he had gathered how - it wasn't until Ria had collapsed from another orgasm, that he was able to enter her. It was maddening the frustration he had even now as he kept his thrusts slow - but the frustration was due to the fact that they lay side-by-side as he made love to her. The position was effecting him far more than he thought it would - and it was clearly having the same effect on Ria. Until finally his frustration became the completion that he had craved and Harianna lay drained beside him.


	32. Chapter 32

'So how do feel about everything?'

Harianna rubbed at her face, it had been three weeks since she had first slept with Draco.

'Lighter ...' she replied honestly, because she did feel as though something had been lifted from her shoulders, 'Draco's been ... amazing.'

'In bed or just amazing?' Ginny teased.

Why had she agreed to come go to The Burrow? Oh yes; a birthday celebration, but Harianna should have known that this would happen, especially after filling Ginny and Hermione in.

She felt her face heat up, 'Both.'

Ginny squealed in delight and Hermione gave a small knowing smile.

'I still can't get my head around it ... I never thought that you and Draco would ... get together.'

Years ago Harianna would have said the same thing, things were so different now, she certainly knew him better and it helped he was no longer the arrogant prick he had been whilst at Hogwarts.

'People change ...' Harianna replied. 'Things change...'

'Told you, you just needed to get out a little and find yourself a man,' Ginny said smugly.

Harianna didn't reply to that comment, she knew what they all thought, they had told her often enough ... that she was wasting away secluding herself off to the world when she could ... it wasn't her fault that she had the _I'm a nutter and a writer syndrome._ Well she had got herself into writing to let out emotions where she couldn't in real life, but still it wasn't entirely her fault.

'Teddy seems happy at least.' Hermione said, 'Have you told him about ...'

'He was elated,' Harianna said, 'couldn't calm him down for ages ... it was like he was on a sugar rush.'

Ginny and Hermione laughed.

'So have you .. you know ...,' Ginny inclined her head in Draco's direction, '...since.'

Harianna nodded. 'Quite a bit.'

'Details, details ...'

'Shove off and find your own man,' Harianna replied, 'though I have to say his wings are just ... yeah ... just wow ...'

Hermione and Ginny giggled.

'I never thought I'd see this day again ... Harianna Potter blushing like a school girl.' Hermione teased.

'Like I said ... he has been ... amazing ... really understanding too - doesn't push matters, doesn't question if I ask to stop something - it's no wonder I haven't been able to ... keep myself away from him ...'

In honest truth Harianna thought it felt like she was lusting after Draco, under no power of her own, though she knew Draco had never used the Veela Allure on her, and they both hadn't been -

'Drugged!'

'Sorry? What do you mean drugged?'

'I just thought of something ...' Harianna scanned the distance for Draco, who was teaching Teddy a Quidditch manoeuvre. Though she was saved as Ron returned to the table, carrying Hugo in his arms, she caught his eye.

'What is it?'

'I ... I know how ... I know how he's doing it!'

* * *

'So you mean to tell me, all this time our ... you know ... has been drugging our case victims with a lust potion.' Draco said.

They had secluded themselves off, in the sitting room of The Burrow, though they still had to be careful in what they said. It hadn't taken Ron long to figure out which he Harianna had been speaking about, though prying Draco away from Teddy had felt like a mission.

'I think so, why else would the women trust the man enough - I don't know why I didn't think of it before, I used the spiking drinks with lust potions in my second book... so he could have gotten the idea ...' Harianna run a hand through her hair, 'I was so fixated on the victims whereabouts and learning their movements that I overlooked how they could have been taken ... or lured.'

'We have no way of proving it though, it's been ages since his last killing ... potions only stay in someone's system for so long ...'

'OK, so, we now have then when he likes to strike; packed places. We know that it is someone with knowledge of how we work ...' Draco said.

Harianna smirked, always the Slytherin.

'And now we know how he likes to lure them,' Ron said. 'So what do you reckon will be his next move? There are two more killings left ... and we can't survey every wizarding club, pub or event, in the hopes we will get him.'

'Event ... the next wizarding event is a Ministry Ball,' Harianna said, 'it will be a prefect place to strike next .. and naturally the Aurors will be there.'

'I think,' Draco said, 'it's best if we work on this one alone ... given what we now are aware of.'


	33. Chapter 33

Draco grew concerned, Harianna had taken quite some time to get ready ... he had known most females liked to pay attention to detail when dressing for a formal occasion, he just did not think that she was one to fuss in the same way. It didn't help matters that she had looked rather pale, though Harianna had not felt warm to the touch ... so he didn't think she was coming down with anything.

'Ria, I'm going to see Teddy off,' Draco shouted through her bedroom door ... though now days it was more their bedroom then Harianna's.

He didn't have to wait too long for the reply that was shouted back, ''Kay.'

Draco headed down the stairs, Teddy looked up as soon as he entered the living room; disappointment plagued his face.

'She's not seeing me off is she.'

'I'm not sure she heard me ... I don't think she's feeling very well - but you know what your godmother is like ...' Draco added the last bit for reassurance as Teddy gave a frantic look towards the ceiling.

'She's not ... ill ... is she?'

Draco assumed by ill Teddy meant in a serious manner, not the usual type of illness. 'I don't think it's anything serious ... but if she doesn't feel better, I'll make sure that she gets herself checked over.'

Teddy settled but the concerned glances did not falter. Draco couldn't blame him, but he did wonder if he should have told him. It was clearly obvious that Ria hardly ever felt unwell.

The flames in the fireplace flashed green, and seconds later Bill Weasley appeared into the room.

'Draco,' Bill nodded, then looked at Teddy, 'Right ... so the girls have decided we are going to have a camp out under the stars, you up for that?'

'Yeah ... sounds alright ..' Teddy said in a small voice. Bill clearly surprised by his behaviour exchanged a look with Draco. All was answered as the door opened, and Harianna stood in the doorway looking pale though elegant in a dark green dress.

'Draco ... oh Bill -'

She was cut off as Teddy rushed to her and hugged her tightly, Harianna blinked down at him as she returned the hug. 'What's up with you, you don't usually hug me this hard?'

Teddy looked up at her, 'I ... I just want you to get better.'

Harianna closed her eyes and sighed, 'Teddy I'm fine ... my stomach has been a little upset ... nothing serious.' she crouched down to his level, 'you know I would speak to you if it was serious ... I wouldn't keep something like that from you. Now, are you ready to go?'

'Yeah ... Bill says we're going to camp out under the stars...'

'Well ... you'll have to tell me about any constellations you see.'

* * *

'I didn't mean for him to worry,' Draco said as they stepped through into event hall.

'I know ... don't worry,' Harianna said, looking around rather nervously, 'Right ... I should find the Minister ... and I'm going to kill him - I can't believe he's making me do this.'

'Making a speech can't be so bad ... I've heard a few of the ones you've made in the past. And he's not making you do anything ... you agreed to do it.'

'Point ... but in the past ... I've had Hermione to check it over ... Kingsley bloody owes me for this.' Harianna said, 'and I'm terrible at dancing formally ... see you later.'

Harianna kissed his cheek and made her way through the crowd. Draco went in search for Weasley.

Finding Weasley proved harder than he assumed it would be, his partner usually stood out with his tallness and flaming red hair. So instead of roaming through the crowd, Draco wondered to the edge of the Hall, if Weasley was going to be anywhere ... he would be near the beverage and buffet tables. Draco wasn't wrong.

'Ria?' Weasley said.

'With the Minister ... ' Draco replied, 'I'd figured I might find you here.'

'Yeah ... well,' Weasley shrugged, glancing along the table, 'best place to be, and we'll be the first to know ... should something happen.'

So that had been his plan.

Silence greeted the Hall as the Minister and Harianna stepped up towards a platform. The Ministry thanked them all for coming, and gave a speech of his own in regards to the event and introduced Harianna.

'Not that she ever needs one,' Draco muttered into Weasley's ear.

'You're telling me.'

As soon as Harianna started speaking, Draco's and Weasley's watch went off.

'He's not here ...' Draco said without looking up, turning the message off, 'he just used tonight as a distraction ...'

'We best wait for Ria,' Weasley gestured to the platform, 'she would have heard the watches in this silence ... come on we'll meet her at the bottom of the platform steps ..'

* * *

This had to be the most violent scene Draco had come across. Blood stained the entire bed and victim, and parts of the victim had been severed and had been cast aside. Harianna had taken one look at the body and run out of them room, one hand clutching her stomach the other held over her mouth.

Weasley looked green in the face, as usual, shaking his head, and paled eyes widening at the wall that was behind them. Draco turned, their killer had left another message.

 _I know who you are James Evans; you're next._

Draco was suddenly glad that Harianna had run out of the room after taking two steps into it, their killer had taken his mother, he was not going to let them take Harianna.

How had their killer found out, Harianna had left no trail. Draco had only figured it out by chance.

Harianna was standing just outside the door, looking incredibly pale.

'Ria,' Draco pressed a hand to her shoulder, 'come on I'm taking you to a Healer ... no arguments.'

The Apparition was of no help to Harianna, she retched as soon as they touched the ground. Draco steered her into Saint Mungo's, filled in the forms and waited for a Healer.

'Any word?'

Draco's eyes looked up from the floor, Weasley had turned up hours later.

'Only just been seen,' Draco replied, 'there was an emergency rushed in and with no visible signs of a serious illness ... sorry I left you to sort out logging the crime scene.'

'Forget it ... I asked Clare to run for potions in the system ... but Potions work fast .. we'll see,' Weasley said, 'Have you told her ... about the message.'

Draco shook his head.

'Auror Malfoy ... you can see her now.' a Healer called, and indicated to a nearby door, 'Miss Potter is in the far end bed on the right.'

'Thanks,' Draco said. There had been no point in asking what was wrong with Harianna, he knew he wouldn't have gotten an answer out of a Healer.

Draco and Weasley walked along the ward and pulled back the curtains, Harianna at least had regained her complexion.

'So did they say -'

Draco had not expected the punch to his nose.

'What was that for,' Draco hissed.

'I knew I should have hexed your balls off when I had the chance!' Harianna snarled.

'Mate,' Weasley said cautiously, 'care to elaborate?'

It was Draco's turn to pale and feel slightly faint, for he had not suspected Harianna to say; 'I'm pregnant, Ron ... about six weeks - Draco got me pregnant.'

The next thing Draco knew Harianna broke down in tears, Weasley awkwardly gave her a supportive hug, and patted her head, repeating the words; "it's going to be fine ... you'll see " over and over again. Draco couldn't help feel as though he had clearly missed something.


	34. Chapter 34

Draco felt as he was in what Weasley like to refer as "the dog house", properly an expression he gained over the years from being married to Granger as it most definitely not a wizarding one. But like it or not - Harianna was refusing to speak to him, well she was being civil but the pregnancy had hardly been spoken about and Draco wanted to know exactly how things stood. Instead, an awkward silence greeted him of a morning, and remained so throughout the day, Draco had never known working and living with someone to be so difficult, and Weasley was his work partner.

Harianna's reaction to the news of being pregnant startled him. True Draco did not know how to take the news himself - a baby? He was going to be a father? Could he be a father? Though his parents' had given him everything he could have ever asked for, his mother had been protective and he looked up to his father so much, that Draco copied how his father acted, and that had not led him down the right path.

Could he do the right thing now? Draco would stand by Harianna no matter her choice, but he could not get over her breakdown at the news. And the length of time it had taken before Harianna was calm enough to return home.

Had he been wrong - had she not wanted children after all ... Harianna had told him that she wasn't good with small children - but he had seen first hand how she was with Teddy and the Weasley brood. There had to be more to it ... to cause her to break down uncontrollably for hours.

Draco sighed, and poked at his dinner, he hadn't felt like eating and Harianna hadn't said a word to him all day. He wanted answers ... but he did not want to pressure them out of her and he felt guilty about how he had gotten answers into her chosen career.

'I'm keeping it ...'

Harianna had spoken so softly, almost whisper-like, she did not look at him, her face had turned away as though frightened by his response.

'I'll stand by you ... whatever.'

Harianna relaxed slightly, though she still did not look at him, 'And we should tell Teddy.'

Draco nodded. That was fair enough.

'And I'm sorry I accused you of getting me pregnant ..' Draco raised his eyebrows at that, but she did not say anything further.

* * *

'I don't understand why she said it.'

Draco sighed heavily and took a sip of coffee from his cup. Granger gave him a small smile.

'Because ... it takes two ... and well -' Granger's cheeks turned pink, 'she knows it takes two -'

'After all these years of being married to Weasley ... you're still blushing about sex?'

Granger scowled at him, 'No. But ... Ria spoke to Ginny and I, about you ... said a few things. Oh, don't worry,' she added when Draco folded his arms, 'we couldn't get anything more out of her apart from that your wings were "wow". Harianna's quite private when it comes to personal matters.'

'Anyway ...' Granger said, 'she knows you weren't the only one at fault ... after-all she had been willing.'

'Try telling that to Weasley ... he doesn't seem impressed -'

'Ron's,' Granger seemed almost hesitant in how to correctly respond, 'protective - think of it as though he's as an older brother. Ria's been through ... so much. As you know her childhood was not exactly all that great. She never had what one would call a normal year at Hogwarts. It was why after the war she sought out refuge in the Muggle world.'

'And met the love of her life.' Draco sneered, feeling jealous.

'Correction, Theo was at one time, the love of her life,' Granger said, 'He was everything she needed at the time, she needed it. Don't get me wrong she never forgave herself, for what happened. And she never got over what happened after her capture -'

'What do mean "what happened after"?' Draco said.

Granger looked at him square in the eye, 'I ... I shouldn't have said that, not if she hasn't told you.'

'Did something happen at the trail?' Draco said.

'Something like that.'

Draco was unconvinced, 'You're worse at lying than Weasley. Try again, or did you swear to an Unbreakable Vow too?'

'No ...' Granger replied softly, 'I couldn't ... we thought I was pregnant at the time.'

'So why can't you explain what you meant?'

'I don't want to betray Ria,' Granger sighed, 'It's her place to tell you, is all.'

'Is there anything you could tell me ... something to help me at least.'

Granger cringed, 'you - I never said anything - Ria lost more than a husband.'

'That's it? Fantastic! How is a cryptic clue meant to help me?'

'You're the Auror ... isn't it you're job to figure it out,' Granger retorted. Though her face scrunched up, before she added, 'And you should know ... Ria always wanted a family ... keeping the child was never going to be an issue for her.'


	35. Chapter 35

'I have good news.'

Draco looked up from his desk to the direction the whisper had come from.

'Are you going to tell me what this good news is? And care to inform me why you're whispering?'

Weasley looked a bit embarrassed, 'Well I also have some bad news ... and that's I think our killer's figured out to eavesdrop - he's got around our Magical protections.'

'And the good news?' Draco said bitterly.

Weasley held up his watch, 'I know three people who have been working on it. Magically too.'

Draco didn't need further information, but this was spectacular news. And given how Weasley was acting like he wasn't sure on how to be around Draco recently, and how strained things were with Ria. It seemed as though Weasley was thinking along the same lines.

'No Ria today?'

'It's the weekend, Weasley,' Draco scoffed, 'she's with Teddy at home, they're perfectly safe.'

'You still haven't told her - have you?'

Draco froze unsure as into what Weasley was exactly talking about, the fact that he was love with Ria or the threat against Harianna. Draco waited he heard a sigh and Weasley clarified.

'About either ...'

'No,' Draco spoke with his head down looking at his desk, he did not want to see the blue eyes of his work partner look at him with disappointment.

'I can understand about the threat - I get it. You want to protect her and with ... the baby, stressing her out - Gods that could lead to all sorts of complications, and Ria's worried enough as it is -'

'She is?' Draco said, now facing Weasley, it had been hard to not look up after hearing the Ria was worried.

'Yeah,' Weasley mumbled, 'about a lot of things - you - the baby - '

'Me?'

'Yes ...you,' Weasley said in a harsh tone, 'haven't you spoken to her?'

'I - I wanted to give her space -'

'And I thought I was an idiot when it came to women - Draco you've got to speak to her ... you've just got to.' Weasley huffed, 'And quite frankly I'm getting fed up of keeping bloody secrets! Just ... talk to her.'

* * *

'You're back early - I thought you said I wouldn't see you until tomorrow.'

Teddy beamed at him as Draco entered the living room. Ria gave him a small smile.

'Didn't take as long as I expected.'

'I've been trying to name the baby - but Ria doesn't like any of the names.'

Ria positively froze, and said in a very timid voice, 'Ted, I told you, it's a bit early for that -'

'Why?'

Teddy looked so confused. Draco shook his head, at least Teddy had been elated to hear the news.

'It's very early on -' Ria bit her lip trying to explain, ' ... a baby takes months to grow and develop before they're born - normally - you wouldn't tell anyone before the pregnancy was three months along.'

'Why?'

Ria bit her lip, 'Because ... the first three months are very hard upon the baby -'

'We want to make sure that the baby is safe before we choose any names,' Draco added, and he bent down to Teddy's level like how he'd seen Ria do so many times. 'And there's things you can do to help ..'

'Really?' Teddy said.

'Yes, you can make sure that Ria doesn't do so much. The baby needs room to grow and Ria's not allowed to lift anything heavy, and she has to use less magic -'

'But I can't do either of those -'

'No but it can be your job to remind Ria not to and wait for me.'

'Yeah, I can do that.' Teddy frowned, 'Draco?'

'Yes Teddy.'

'Now that your having a baby, does this mean that your going to marry? 'Cause I thought only married people could have babies - but Ria said that's not how it always works - but I think you should, we're family, but it will be official then if you got married.'

'I love you and I love your godmother very much, Teddy,' Draco said, 'the baby was a big - delightful surprise, but I think we'd be better if things remained as they were - just for now.'

'But if you love Ria and Ria loves you -' Draco's head turned, Harianna's cheeks flushed under his intense gaze. 'Then why can't you marry?'

'I never said I didn't want to marry Ria, or that I couldn't,' Draco said, his eyes not once leaving Ria's green ones. 'I love her, but I'll only marry her, if or when she wants to, and I'll be OK if she decides that she doesn't want to.'

For the first time in ages, green eyes sparkled with warmth.

'Ria ..'

'Yes Teddy?' she replied though she had not looked away from Draco.

'I'm hungry.'

And the moment was ruined, but Draco would not have it any other way.


	36. Chapter 36

Harianna woke up feeling a little too hot and like she was about to be sick. Then the sickness feeling went away, well that was one problem down, as for the other, it took her brain a few moments to register why her body felt so warm. She was not in the bed alone. Draco was laying beside her. She had forgotten that they had taken to going to bed with one another, Draco had wanted to be around her so he knew when he would be needed, without having to wake up Teddy. It seemed a solid argument, one she had happily let him win.

The warmth was due to his arm being draped over her, his hand settled near the small swelling of her stomach. She had never shown this early when she had been pregnant with Kai, nothing about this pregnancy was the same as her previous one. And she had yet to tell Draco about it. She knew she was going to have to tell him, but the thought of Kai had always made her chest tighten.

Butterflies hit her stomach, and the dying urge to be sick hit her, Harianna scrambled from the bed, throwing Draco's arm off her just making it to the bathroom in time. It took a few moments for her stomach to settle again, and for her to register that her back was being rubbed, though the motion stopped as she brushed a hand through her hair.

Bloody morning sickness, she had never suffered with it last time.

'Better?'

Harianna glanced at Draco, waiting a moment before answering, as she had wanted to make sure her stomach was not going to change its mind any time soon, 'Think so.'

Draco helped her to up to her feet. 'First scan today.'

His voice had an air of excitement and a touch of nervousness about it, Draco wasn't asking her, more confirming the fact.

'Yeah at two, reckon Bentley will let out so you can come?'

'I hope so, we're testing out the new system today, Weasley and I for bugs.'

It had taken them, George, Hermione and her, a whole month in which to get a tracking system up and running - well a prototype at least.

'Try not to break it -' Draco looked as though she was being silly for suggesting that he would be so stupid, 'well at least make sure Ron doesn't break it. And you might as well call him by his name - I've heard you say it, several times in fact!'

'Ha unlikely!'

* * *

Harianna frowned as another couple disbursed from the waiting room with happy smiles upon their faces, causing her to sigh heavily. How she wanted that, she remembered being just as other expecting mothers to be, anxious and thrilled, sharing smiles of wonder and pride. She felt none of those, not this time around, she would not allow herself to become emotionally attached like she had done before. She had learned that lesson the hard way. Harianna tugged at a sleeve of her blouse, forcing herself to take deep breaths.

'Don't worry dear, I was nervous when I had my first as well.'

Harianna looked up, a woman with dark blonde curly hair, and light-green eyes was smiling at her. The woman looked to be in her thirties. She had come alone too.

'I'm on my third child, this one was the surprise - I - we lost one, didn't think about having another - but we are both delighted when we found out, my husband couldn't make it today, what about you Miss Potter? It's no wonder your nervous being on your own.'

'Accident, completely unplanned -' Harianna said letting out a small laugh. Well it seemed not everything about her pregnancies had been different after all. 'The father has been great - he's an Auror, and most likely trying to keep my best friend, who is his work partner from - well, making a fool of himself.'

'That's lovely, I take it that's how you met.'

'Reconnected, we knew each other at Hogwarts - though we didn't think highly of each other back then.' Harianna paused, 'he changed, became a decent man - '

The doors to the waiting room opened, making Harianna turn her head around, Draco looked slightly out of breath, but generally pleased.

'I know I'm late - have you been waiting here for me? - Do you want to go? What did the Healer say?'

'Draco,' Harianna laughed, as Draco approached her, 'I've not even been seen to yet.'

'Oh thank Merlin!' Draco said slumping into the seat next to her, and let out a breath, but Draco had no time to relax, as her name was called out. Draco gave her a nervous smile, one which she returned, perhaps this time things wouldn't be so bad, Ron was right, she shouldn't worry unless she was given a reason to.

Draco gave a puzzled look at the Muggle machine, though he did not say anything, letting the Healer get on with it. Harianna turned to the blank screen, staring at it intently, if Draco wanted to know what was going on, and why they were using something Muggle for a scan, then he could ask.

'I thought so, considering you've started to swell despite only being four months,' the Healer said, as soon as a view could be seen. Harianna froze, her heart suddenly stopped, she could make out what the Healer was talking about.

'Is that not normal then?' Draco asked anxiously.

'Everything is perfectly fine, completely normal Mr Malfoy, and developing well. Congratulations, both of you, you've got perfectly healthy twins.'


	37. Chapter 37

Draco stretched out and let out a yawned as he stepped into his shared office. For a change he actually beat Weasley in, or so he had thought, for Weasley rushed into the office, a huge grin upon his face.

'It's working,' Weasley said.

Draco blinked for a moment, stunned for a moment wondering what his partner was talking a load of waffle. When he realised the waffle made sense. Weasley was talking about the tracking system.

'About time, we've been working on it for the last month -'

Weasley shrugged, 'trail and error, these things take time and cannot be rushed, according to George and Ria anyway. Speaking of Ria, how are things.'

Draco rubbed at his face, 'things are fine in general, but Ria won't let me buy anything for the twins - I keep telling her we should sort out a nursery and get things in for it, but she won't listen to me. Keeps saying it's too soon. Rate we're going, we'll have nothing ready. I can understanding not wanting to know the sex of the twins but not getting anything!'

Weasley looked as though he was having second thoughts, before saying, 'we'll there's a good reason for that.'

Draco rolled his eyes. 'Yes, I know, Theo.'

Weasley grimaced, 'Theo meant a lot to Ria, yes.'

Draco thought over Weasley's words, he had heard them before, or at least something similar ... _she lost more than a husband._ Which made Draco think of something else Granger had said.

'What happened after her capture, after she had been found.'

'I can't answer that,' Weasley replied.

'I was talking out loud,' Draco said, 'I know you can't - wait, we've been talking about Theo, about her capture and you told me you had made an Unbreakable Vow.'

'I did.'

'Then how can you ... it was never about what happened during her capture - it was what happened after, that's what you made the vow over.'

'Yes,' Weasley shrugged, 'don't see no point in trying to lie, you'll see right through me.'

Draco thought over everything Ria had told him, and looked blankly at Weasley, 'Was it something to do with her fake death.'

Weasley raised his eyebrows, 'you know about that?' Draco said nothing he watched Weasley reactions closely, for any of his usual signs for lying. 'No it's not.'

So if it wasn't about her apparent death, then what was it?

'If I was you, I'd talk to her about it, instead of trying to work it all out yourself. Remember what happened when she found out about her death threat?'

Draco unconsciously rubbed at his back, not only had he been throw onto the couch for two weeks, but he had been on the receiving end of a well placed stinging hex, that he could have sworn lasted longer than usual, 'yes.'

'Well I did tell you -'

'Don't go there, I was trying to not stress her out, which by the way, thanks for the restless sleep, it takes ages for Ria to relax now-'

'Don't want to know,' Weasley said holding his hands up.

'Too late, you got me into this mess, you can help me -' a sudden thought came to Draco, 'so if we've got the device working ...'

'Yes, but we don't know who we are looking for -'

'We don't know who to look for Weasley, think for a moment. We need to know who they are looking for ...'

Weasley stared at him wide eyed, 'think you could - you know.'

'Please, I wasn't put into Slytherin for nothing,' Draco replied, 'but it will need to look like something - nothing suspicious ...'

Weasley smirked, 'I can think of something ... leave it to me.'


	38. Chapter 38

Draco had given up, he hadn't been successful in getting Harianna to buy things for the twins with him. Now she was seven months along, Draco was not going to wait a moment longer ... so in secret, he had taken a trip to Diagon Alley when he knew Ria to be at Saint Mungo's for a checkup. Desperate times called for desperate measures, and even though he had no clue into what he was doing, Draco at least knew what basic requirements babies needed, and the assistant had been extremely helpful.

Ria was still out by the time he had reached The Thicket, so Draco took the shrunken items up into the old bedroom he had used. Several days ago, on a whim, Draco had brought some pale yellow paint, if Harianna wanted to ignore the fact that the babies existed, that was her choice - for Draco believed now that was what she was doing, denying all knowledge of her pregnancy. But Draco was not going to wait for a moment longer, he was going to be prepared, his children would at least have somewhere to sleep. He put the shrunken items in the cupboard and walked out of the room again.

He walked along the corridor towards the landing to go back down the stairs, when he stopped to face an open door. Normally this wouldn't be unusual, but the door that had been left ajar was the one that contained Harianna's study. Draco pushed the door open and walked into the seemly empty messy room. Which it was, it was absent of human presence, parchment was scattered about by the desk, books un-neatly piled onto shelves of bookcases. And two photo frames were shining proudly upon the desk, Draco was drawn to them.

The first photograph was non-moving, it contained a wide smiling Harianna, with a man whose arm was wrapped around her, bearing a smile that matched Harianna's. Draco did not know who the man was himself, but he had seen others of him when he had been at the Mason's. The man in the picture was Theo Mason, the husband Ria had watch die in front of her. Draco turned his attention to the other frame, which to his surprise contained two photographs, the first in the actual frame itself and a loose one tucked into a corner of the frame. The loose photograph brought a smile to his face, for it wasn't actually a photograph, but a picture of the last scan of twins, Draco had only known that due to the time and date that had been printed onto it. The other had been another scan of a baby, at first Draco thought that it had been an older scan of their twins', when he noticed his mistake, instead of two life-forms, the scan contained one. Draco noticed something else different about the scans, the one that contained the twins, printed Harianna's surname as Potter, the other Mason.

'His name was Kai.'

Draco jumped, spinning around to the voice that sounded from behind him. Harianna did not look upset or angry with him, and Draco placed the photograph down again.

'I named him Kai ...' Harianna continued, walking towards him, 'middle name Theo after his father ... he would have been six, the day Teddy did a runner ...'

The words hit Draco's brain hard, and quite suddenly everything he knew about James Evans and Harianna fell into place. He could understand her reluctancy now.

'I'm scared Draco.' Harianna said.

'It won't be like that ... you won't have to go through -' Draco swallowed the lump in his throat, he reached out cupping her face, 'not alone ... this time you won't be alone.'

Harianna threw herself at him, arms wrapping around his neck, her body shaking as she sobbed, and Draco held her, unsure whether it was the hormones that had made her finally break or whether she had just held onto her past for too long without ever talking about it. Why else would she go to such lengths to keep it all a secret? And have those who had known keep the information so guarded?

* * *

 ** _A.N. well not many more chapter to go until I've completed this, sorry this took so long, but I wrote this several times before settling upon this to be how Draco to find out about Kai. Killer to soon be revealed ... and the reason as into why ... hopefully, I'll be able to update it all soon, as I've got most of it written out. x_**


	39. Chapter 39

Draco watched Harianna in slight amusement, her eyes had not left the screen the moment the twins had come swimming into view. Her face filled with wonder ... but he knew the fear that was hidden behind it now. He understood her better than he had before ... Kai Theo Mason was not only a fictional character written in a book but her son, her dead son.

'Still, breach I see ...' the Healer murmured.

'Is that ... is something wrong with that?' Draco said

'Well, this far into the pregnancy if the twin that's nearest is not head down, we will have to perform a cesarean, if that had not been the case, we would have allowed you to try for a natural birth.'

'A cesarean?' Draco quizzed. For the first time, Harianna turned to face him. Draco's eyebrows were arched, and a sneer formed his face. 'Isn't that a ... _Muggle ..._ operation.'

'If it keeps the twins safe ...' Harianna said, her eyes pleading with his to understand.

'Ria ...' he groaned, his face twisted, then slowly he gave her a nod of his head. 'Fine ... but I don't like it - if it keeps you happy and if it is the safest way,' Draco looked away from Harianna, and caught the Healer's attention, demanding, 'it is safe ... the babies and Harianna will be safe ... _yes.'_

'All operations have risks. But it is safe, Mr Malfoy, unlike Muggles we have magic and potions to assist us ..'

'Well that's alright then,' Draco grumbled, and added quite hastily when Harianna gave him a pointed look, 'sorry love ... I'm just nervous, I expected - well you to be squeezing the hell out of my mind and calling me mindless names - not an operation .. Muggle or otherwise.'

'Well, your twins have one week to make up their minds ... if the one nearest at least turns within that time, like I said we can opt for the natural process -'

'A week?'

'They need room to move Mr Malfoy!' the Healer replied, clearly a little frazzled, 'Your twins are growing, they need the room to move into a suitable position...'

'Yes, yes,' Draco smirked, waving his hand about, utterly annoyed, 'I can understand.'

Harianna decided to interrupt, clearly thinking that it was best to defuse the situation. 'Thank you, you've been most helpful -'

'Yes most helpful,' Draco sneered, to which Harianna nudged and glared at him. Draco smiled sweetly at her and held his hands up in a sign of surrender. The Healer was clearly bemused or stunned by their antics, as she kept glancing from one to the other.

'I would like to see you both next week, check to see how things are progressing and see if there has been any signs of movement, and we'll go from there.'

'Thank you.' Harianna said again, Draco helped her off the examination table.

...

'So Ria hasn't got a clue?' Draco asked firmly, ''Cause even she can spot a lie from you a mile away.'

'Not one clue,' Weasley smirked, 'bear in mind, I might have had some help. Did you spot it ... the device -'

'Of course, I did you blithering idiot,' Draco sneered. 'Just as long as Ria never finds out ... because we're both dead if she does.'

It was Weasleys turn to hold his hands up in surrender, 'Wasn't my bright idea -'

'I'm only going to take half the blame .. my idea, but you implemented it.' Draco replied.

Weasley rolled his eyes but reframed from retorting. 'How're things? The twins?'

Draco relaxed slightly leaning back into his chair behind his desk. 'Going well ... we're good, and now that I know everything ... well, I understand her better.'

'It was ... awful,' Weasley said thoughtfully.

Draco sighed heavily.

'What was that for?'

'I feel like I'm living up to him, like I'm in competition with her dead husband -'

Weasley laughed, 'Don't get me wrong ... you were never the first person I'd thought Ria would go for, and Theo, was a great guy ... but I wouldn't say you were "living up" to him.'

'I told Ria I loved her today - as I left to come here.'

'About time.'

'She didn't say anything.'

'I don't think it's because she doesn't feel the same, you just have to remember the last person she loved - died,' Weasley reasoned.

Draco said nothing, he wasn't so sure what he could say to that. He didn't regret making the choice ... choosing to be with Harianna had been easy ... just why did everything have to be so complicated.

'If anything,' Weasley spoke into the silence, 'she loves you every much.'

Draco arched his eyebrows, gesturing for Weasley to continue.

'You haven't seen a copy yet ... have you - the new book, she's almost finished with it ... and well you might be in it - as Kai's new Auror partner.'

Draco smiled softly to himself, catching the meaning behind Weasley's words. When Harianna couldn't speak about her life she chose to do so as James Evans. 'Daft woman ...'

Weasley chuckled, 'I'll tell her you said that -'

The rest of Weasley's sentence was cut off as a loud ringing sounded throughout their office, the noise, however, did not come from either of their watches but from a device upon Draco's desk. A Mobile, that Harianna had given him in case of an emergency, and though Draco had hated learning how to use the damn thing, he had to admit it had its uses.

'It's Teddy,' Draco said before he picked it up. 'Hay ...'

'Draco -' Teddy's voice sounded worried, 'it's half three and Ria's nowhere to been seen - I tried the house phone but there was no answer -'

Draco's eyes flicked over to Weasley, as he spoke into the device, 'I'm on my way ... stay where you are Ted, talk to no one ... understand ... no one but me. Call me if she turns up - Ria might have fallen asleep.' Draco ended the call. 'I've got to go ... check -'

'Already on it. I'll Patronus you.' Weasley said already on his feet. 'Let's just hope this is a false alarm ... this can't happen to her - not again.'


	40. Chapter 40

Harianna felt disorientated as her eyes fluttered open sleepily, her vision blurry, the room she was in was swimming around blurring her vision as if she had been drinking too much. Though she felt hazy, it did not take her long to realise that she was no longer in Diagon Alley - for that much she was pretty sure on. Slowly her brain processed her last moments; St Mungo's, The Thicket and yes she had certainly gone to Diagon Alley but what for her thoughts couldn't seem to recall, something to do with the twins maybe?

Harianna tried to move and found that her movement to be restricted. Her conscious suddenly kicked in informing her that not all was right. Her restricted movement caused her to groan, but then sound sounded muffled to her ears. Something was most definitely not right.

As the feeling in her limbs connected to that of her brain - alarm bells triggered - Harianna forced herself to concentrate on clearing her head. It did not take long, a dimly lit room came into focus. Harianna tried to move again - but it was in vain - she had been bound by what she figured was rope from the feel of it against her wrists. She bit into the cloth that had been shoved into her mouth, pulling at it with her teeth.

'I should have known ... a strong witch like you, being able to fight off the Imperious Curse and all, of course, you'd be able to regain conscious thought ... I'll have to make that potion stronger once I've dealt with you.'

Harianna recognised the voice instantly and from the moment she had been able to see clearly she should have known what was odd about the room she was in. For it had looked too small, but now she acknowledged that she was not against a wall, but bound in the middle of the room.

She heard footsteps approaching from behind her, and though she could tell she was still fully dressed, Harianna felt vulnerable. Her current state did inform her of one thing - either she hadn't been gone long or he hadn't had the time to strip her yet.

'You don't seem to be surprised, to hear my voice -' the footsteps halted, a hand brushed against her ear and down the back of her neck. '- you're smart too ... I admire that.' The hand moved down the length of her side, 'such a shame Malfoy had to spoil your lovely figure umm Ms Potter ... or is it still Mrs Mason?' Harianna grunted, and a hand rested just under her breast, Harianna squirmed without meaning to. 'Or should I call you James Evans? Not that it matters much, it's not going to change what's going to happen -'

'Umph,' Harianna mumbled into her gag, by merlin did she want to swear at the pillock.

'I can see why he liked you now. Why he choose to settle for you.'

Such an odd statement to make, just who exactly was he talking about? Draco Malfoy? The hand faltered dropping from her. 'I'm not going to touch you ... I don't like damaged goods ...'

Gods he is a bastard speaking to her like that. Damaged goods ... Harianna was far from damaged goods - she had gotten over ... he had called her Mrs Mason - he had known about Theo. How the fuck had he known about her past?

'No I'm just going to watch you die with complete pleasure ... and no one is around to stop me, all thanks to an alert that went out in concerns for you - bet you thought you'd been so clever, tracking devices,' he laughed, then tutted, 'I never figured you try something like that ... but as soon as I heard, as soon as I knew what you were up to I dismantled my watch, Malfoy and Weasley won't be able to find me now -'

This couldn't be it, she couldn't die like this. Just why hadn't she replied to Draco when she had the chance, and then there was Teddy and her unborn twins ... Harianna forced herself to take deep breaths, she would not go through it all again, Draco had promised that this time things would be different, somehow someway he would find her ... he just had to.

'Any last words murderer?'

Harianna did not get time to murmur a reply into her gag - light suddenly burst into the room, and her attacker was thrown away from her, she could only assume he landed behind her as she could not see him. A shrill filled the air and Harianna almost sobbed with relief at the sound.

'Malfoy no!'

Harianna sighed at hearing her best friend's voice, that was pleading with what she knew was a very pissed off Veela.

'We need him alive ... we need justice -' Ron reasoned, 'we need answers, and we need to let Ria down.'

Harianna waited in the silence that occurred for the next few minutes. She knew Draco was probably battling with himself, the Veela wanting nothing but attack and the rational Auror. It was most likely why Ron had not freed her from her bindings yet, not wanting to approach in case he landed up on the wrong side of Draco.

Footsteps approached her again, this time she could hear the hesitancy within them, the rope fell away from her ankles magically, but hands reached to remove her gag and untie her hands.

'I ... I didn't think, are you -'

Harianna spun around, Draco's grey eyes were filled with concern, and Harianna pulled herself closer to him, allowing herself to drink in his scent for a few seconds before she peered over his shoulder. Her attacker was on the floor bound; bloody face and all. Served him right.

'Did he -?'

There was uncertainty within Draco's question and although he didn't ask her what he had been thinking, she had known.

'No,' Harianna whispered, 'just wanted to kill me ... and I would like to know the reason why.'

'I'll .. we'll,' Draco corrected himself, 'will find out, I'm taking you home first.'

'No,' Harianna shook her head, 'I want to know Draco, I'm going with you. I want answers.'

Draco grimaced then looked to Ron for assistance, who shrugged a reply and Harianna knew she had won.

'Fine ...' Draco replied hotly, 'But I want to be with you when you question him.'


	41. Chapter 41

After a quick firecall to Bill Weasley's to inform him and Teddy that all was well, and Harianna was fine, Draco reluctantly opened the door to the interview room, letting Harianna in before he changed his mind. Weasley looked up from the centre of the room, opposite him sat the man that just tried to kill Ria, and Draco was contemplating on walking back out of the room, taking her with him then to re-enter so he could actually do more damage than the gash that was on his face.

The bastard looked too pleased with himself even though he had just been caught, they just had to nail him for the other killings, and unless they got him to talk finding the proof was going to impossible considering he had covered his tracks. Just like the Auror he had trained to be.

'For the record,' Weasley stated to the charmed quill, which began to write on the parchment upon the desk, 'Harianna Potter and Draco Malfoy have now entered the room.' Weasley looked at the parchment and nodded just once in Draco's direction, satisfied it was working correctly. Draco placed Harianna in the seat next to Weasley as he began to register the day and time, leaving Draco to stand. Harianna reached out placing her hand on Weasley's arm when he began to clear his throat, intent on asking his first question.

Pearson and Harianna looked at each other, in the silence of the room as though they were trying to work the other out. Draco had never seen her work as an Auror before so he glanced at Weasley who was trying to remain neutral faced, but Draco caught a glint in his eyes as they exchanged looks once more.

Harianna said nothing and placed an empty glass bottle on the desk from her robes, took her wand out, she made a small cut into her hand and poured the blood into it, saying not a word, once it filled she healed herself and passed over the bottle to Weasley, then returned to looking at Pearson.

'So tell me, how did you know my deceased husband?'

She gave no explanation to her first question, and Draco had to rack his brain to try and understand her rather unusual approach.

Pearson stared back at her, cool, calm and collected and remained silent. Harianna just blinked at him.

'You called me Mrs Mason ... very few people know me by that name, those who knew either think I'm dead or swore an oath never to reveal it ... so I'll ask again, how did you know my deceased husband? Because that's how this all starts is it not, with Theo Mason.'

'We were brothers -'

Wait a moment, the Masons had told Draco, Theo was adopted as a baby, and not once mentioned adopting another child, for Pearson and Theo looked nothing like each other, but not looking alike didn't mean a thing.

'Was that why he was left for adoption ... because he wasn't magical?'

Fuck, Draco glanced at Weasley once more, how the hell did Harianna put together pieces of information from ... well, nothing? Weasley's shared a smug expression for a split second before schooling his face.

'I - I believe so - I didn't even know, not until years later after I enrolled as an Auror -'

'So you used the skills and knowledge to open closed adoption files and found who you were looking for, your brother.'

Pearson snorted, 'Yeah, only the Masons told me he was dead -'

'Did you know then? How he had died, that I had been married to him?'

Pearson shook his head, 'No, I found that out when I had to rearrange the old case files, I went back to the Masons to see what they knew, to find out who his wife had been, and low and behold, I found out that it was you.'

'So that's why you called me a murderer ... you blamed me for brothers death because you knew the truth behind what happened, then I guess you wiped the Masons' memories of your visit,' Ria said calmly, and paused for a moment, 'so, when did you work out that I was James Evans?'

'I had my suspicions as soon as I read the first book, almost four years ago.'

Harianna shook her head, 'You visited him, you cursed an innocent man because he couldn't give you the answers you wanted. And that confirmed your theory did it?'

Pearson said nothing for a few seconds, 'I know how this works, you won't get me to talk.'

'Oh,' Harianna said once again calmly, 'I don't need you to talk, I just need enough evidence to get Veritaserum to be used at your trial.'

'There's no evidence ... you can't pin anything on me.'

'Actually,' Harianna pointed out, 'I'll think you'll find my blood will say otherwise - remember you gave me a potion, which will still currently be in my system - now if the results matches the last sample we got from the last killing our perpetrator did, I think that might _just_ be enough to connect you. So you see Pearson I don't need to talk at all.'

Okay, Draco forced himself to admit it, she was bloody good. Pearson had completely paled.

'Your brother was a good man, he would have never wanted you to take revenge upon me ... just because he happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. The last people who tried to kill me - who tried to take everything away from me - well one's dead and the other is in Azkaban. Now if you excuse me, I think I'll let Auror Weasley and Auror Malfoy take over from here - you've given them plenty of information to use against you ... for now.'


	42. Chapter 42

In the end, as much as Weasley and Draco had tried to talk Pearson into confessing, Pearson refused to talk despite the very fact that they had something on him, and thanks to Harianna something that linked him to the last murder. In the end, it had come down to a trial, a trial Draco was currently missing. But if had to choose he would pick the birth of twins over Pearson's trial any day. And if they really needed him, they could always call him in at a later point, but right now Harianna was far more important. Ria's had been booked in for a cesarean for the same day as the trail as the twins were still both breech.

They were still currently waiting for a slot to open up, Draco glanced over to Ria, who was resting in the hospital bed, in her gown with a nervous smile on her face, her fingertips were brushing over her baby bump in a delicate manner. Ria looked rather tired.

'Get some rest, I'll wake you.' Draco received a smile, and she looked at him gratefully. Before letting her head fall back onto her pillow, it did not take long for her breathing to even out. Draco pulled out a few pieces of parchment he had brought with him, pieces of parchment that contained the next James Evans book, he might as well finish reading it while they were waiting.

...

Kai Mason brushed the parchment with the tips of his fingers, letting out a hearty sigh. This case ... had been his toughest case, and he wasn't sure on if he wanted to let go of it just yet, despite the very fact that hours ago it had been closed.

'It's only parchment, it's not going to bring her back.'

Kai looked up, he still had not got used to the slight dark blonde haired man that was his new work partner, Mace Devitt's grey eyes pierced into his own as though he could read his very thoughts.

'You shouldn't have been working it, to begin with -'

'Was never one for doing what I was told, Devitt.'

'It's a good thing then, that I'm exactly the same,' Mace replied taking a seat on his desk - Kai was actually starting to no longer think of it as Mathew Withers.

'She ... my mother, died giving birth me - my father refused to speak about her for years. And I thought it had been my fault, believed it to be my fault somehow, that she died.' Kai said, 'then I found out what happened - it was why I started working in this section, to begin with.'

'She was a good woman, that's what you should remember her by, not by what happened to her,' Mace said hesitantly, Kai turned his head away back to the pieces of parchment. 'She'd be proud, that you caught the bugger that did it, that tried to do it again.'

'You're right,' Kai said, 'I ... it's been like knowing her -'

Mace got to his feet, walked over a placed a hand upon his shoulder, and squeezed in reassurance for a brief moment. 'You don't have to explain to me, I understand, really I do.'

For a second Kai had forgotten his partner had lost his mother too, though it had been due to health.

'Would you like me to file it?'

Kai Mason shook his head, his hand brushed the pieces of parchment one last time, Kai snapped the file shut, focusing upon the name written upon it; Helene Mason for sheer seconds.

 _I got him, mum. I got him._ Kai thought to himself as he flicked his wand, watching the file disappear from his desk to return itself to storage.

'Right, pub?' Mace said, rubbing his hands together looking at him hopefully.

Kai chuckled, 'Not today - I think - I think I might go see my dad, let him know the news.'

'More ladies for me then,' Mace said happily, 'See you tomorrow Mason.'

Kai watched him walk out of the office, the newbie still had so much to learn, he wasn't sure who he should feel sorrier for the woman who no doubt be on the receiving end of Mace Devitt flirting tactics or Mace Devitt himself. Mace Devitt reminded Kai a lot of his younger self - the younger self before his old work partner Mathew Withers. _I'll teach him everything you taught me,_ Kai vowed silently. But for now Kai had other pressing matters to deal with, teaching Devitt could wait, for this past year had taught him life was far too short to have regrets.

...

'You finished it then?' came Weasley's said as he settled down into an empty chair.

'Yes, but you're wrong about the Auror partner being me because Mace Devitt and I are nothing alike.'

'She couldn't keep everything the same,' Weasley replied, 'or everyone would know - well everyone is about to know regardless. After this trial hits the news.'

'Pearson?'

'Confessed everything ... under Veritaserum.' Weasley said, 'how it all started, how he been on missions in the areas the killings had taken place - how he had developed a lust potion that clouded people's judgement, how it used it to lure his victims - how he hope it would lure Ria back into Auror Headquarters. The bastard made himself invisible to spy on our progress - only thing Ria and I actually never thought of Invisibility Cloaks and Spells. He admitted to destroying the tracking files - how he wanted to lure us all away from the office by going after my wife first, so he could kill your mother. And the night of the surveillance ... he set off the watch after ... '

'Bastard.'

Weasley nodded, 'Figured we'd go looking once we realised that they had gone missing.' Weasley changed the subject, 'How are you holding up - I'm surprised I caught you.'

'We got pushed down the list because emergencies came up,' Draco replied, but as he done so a Healer he had met before walked over to the bed.

'Healer Cartel.'

'Dimetri is fine, sorry for the wait, but I thought it be best to handle this delivery myself.'

'We don't mind ... Ria won't like being having favouritism because of who she is.'

Healer Cartel just smiled, 'That's not why I'm here, I just thought my presence would ease her -'

'He delivered Kai,' came a soft sleepy explanation. Green eyes looked dazed for a few moments, until they settled on Weasley, 'the trial?'

'Finished, the bugger confessed,' Weasley said, and added to Draco, 'I'll leave you to it. I'll be at my place Patronus me.'

Draco nodded in confirmation, as Weasley got up and left the room behind them. They made Draco put an operation gown on whilst the prepared Harianna for the cesarean. Draco forced himself to concentrate on Ria's face and nothing else, knowing she was about to be cut open made him feel slightly ill. Draco squeezed Ria's hand encouragingly, waiting for the time to pass. Time that seemed to slow on purpose. Until the first cry sounded throughout the room. One down and several minutes later came a second cry. Harianna let out a hefty sigh of relief.

Draco couldn't believe it as he stared down into the little cribs a little while later, the cribs had been nestled to a side of Ria's hospital bed. Both of their children had inherited Draco's blond hair, though it was darker than his own. Both had Ria's facial roundness and nose, and they had inherited her eyes too.

'They're finally here,' Ria said sleepily.

'That they are,' Draco replied without looking up. 'We never did discuss names -'

Harianna yawned, 'I was thinking that maybe we could name them after ... after our parents.'

Draco looked up, 'I'd like that. I'd like that a lot.'


	43. Chapter 43

Draco stumbled into his shared office, feeling completely shattered, who knew having children would be so demanding. Weasley just laughed at the sight of him.

'You look a mess.'

Draco may have groaned in reply, but he also sent his partner a sneer to shut him up.

'Lily and Narcissa still not sleeping through the night I take it.'

'No,' Draco groaned once more as he slid into his chair, resting his head in his hands. It had been two months since the birth of the twins, and as much as he loved his girls he could really deal with having a decent night sleep for a change. 'Ria says they'll grow out of it. They will grow out of it won't they Weasley?'

Weasley laughed, 'yeah, some children take longer to do so, has she tried upping their feeds through the day? So they get the same amount just they wouldn't need the one during the night?'

'Not sure,' Draco said rubbing his temple, 'I'll ask her later or suggest it.'

'Well it worked for us,' Weasley shrugged, 'but well all babies are different.'

Draco looked over at Weasley's desk for the first time that morning, a copy of the morning's paper already upon his desk.

'Anything interesting?' Draco indicated to it.

Weasley grimaced, 'No not really.'

Idiot. Did Weasley really think that he couldn't tell when Weasley was lying?

'Nice try, what's in it?' Draco said, 'If you don't tell me, I can always take that one from you.'

Weasley did not look impressed with him, 'Fine, the trial details have come out - well the details they could print.'

Draco was slightly surprised by this information, 'But ... why did it take them this long, the trial was months ago.'

Weasley looked rather sheepish, 'Yeah... well I might have - I told them to bugger off and wait until the case details could be released. Seriously people just have no shame.'

'Oh course they were going to want to know, there was a killer on the loose that was making us run around in circles,' Draco pointed out, 'people want to know that they are going to be protected, and don't like it when we don't provide that.'

Weasley shrugged, 'Yeah, well, somethings are just best left alone ... we don't need another bright-spark thinking they can take ideas from a book and use them to their advantage.'

'No we don't,' Draco agreed.

'That's another thing ... the article was actually mostly about James Evans,' Weasley added, 'and well - the wizarding community is going to know who he is -'

'Or rather who she is,' Draco completed Weasley's sentence for him. 'Well we expected that to happen, you said it would.'

'I'd hoped that those details wouldn't - but well, with Pearson's confession and Ria working here for no apparent reason, it was bound to come out,' Weasley said shaking his head, 'Do you think you guys well be able to handle it? The added fame, she was already famous without everyone knowing about James Evans. Doesn't help that the latest book was her best seller. She won't be able to hide from it. There will be no more secrets.'

'I don't know about Ria,' Draco said smiling, leaning back in his chair without a care in the world, 'but I love the sound of that; no more secrets. Besides I can handle swarms of crowds and so can Ria.' Draco shrugged, 'We also have a little thing called magic to help us - a few "Notice Me Not's" - and we're all good.'

Weasley shook his head, chortling to himself, his smile faded as their office door burst open to reveal Bently looking very frazzled.

'Right, there's been a suspicious death,' Bently said, 'Carlton just sent a Patrnous - as the watches are currently being upgraded-'

Draco shared a quick glance with Weasley. Both of them already knowing the reason behind the upgrade.

'And he wants you to take Harianna with you because he says they're bloody stumped at how it could have happened. Reckon she'll help out?'

Draco groaned defeated already knowing the answer. Since everyone in the department knew how Ria had finally cracked their last case, requests to get her back had been frequent, Weasley chuckled and said, 'Well, you did say that you didn't want any more secrets. I guess we best go ask her, and see if she can get anyone to look after the twins - I'm sure my mother wouldn't mind.'

Draco shook his head, 'You're not helping Weasley - you're not helping at all.'

The end.


End file.
